Three entrepreneurs building and using commercial drones say the technology is getting safer, more acceptable and creating new business opportunities.
That was the word at a lunch forum presented by the business networking group San Diego 6 Degrees at the offices of Mintz Levin in Carmel Valley
“We’re helping people sell homes faster,” said Jamar Williams, CEO of Dream Shore Studios. His company flies the new DJI Inspire I which “looks like a flying bat when it’s up in the air, but it gets great shots.”
He said that when his employees are photographing a neighborhood, “people aren’t necessarily concerned about drones in particular but who’s operating the drones.”
Alex Fuller, co-founder of INOVA Drone, showed off a prototype drone designed for search-and-rescue operations that has an infrared camera and spotlight.
“Our drones are designed for search-and-rescue operations. They’re designed to save lives,” he said.
Fuller said most of the negative news about drones comes from inexpensive hobbyist machines that are flown without much training.
“Anyone can pick a drone up, fly it around, crash it, and hurt someone,” Williams said.
Rich Mino, ower of Virtual Properti.es, flies DJI Phantom II photo drones for real estate and construction photography projects. He said rooftop solar installations are particularly well-suited for drone photography.
Mino said his crews go through a complete pre-flight checklist, ensuring that a drone is operated safely.
