Drones: adapting to a world of UAVs making data driven decisions in real time

While unmanned aircraft technology is not new, the thought of thousands of drones constantly buzzing around our skies still feels as if it belongs in a futuristic movie.

However, such a sight is closer in time than may be expected, and with flying cars among the next steps forward in innovation, it could ultimately be a partial solution to the pilot crisis that is already impacting the commercial aviation sector.

Much of the progress will depend on regulatory authorities developing robust standards, enabling new applications "and the ability of the innovators to understand what technology is available to enable their vision of the future," according to one industry leader.