SAN FRANCISCO — When people refer to drones, they could mean anything from flying cameras that anyone can use, to unmanned aerial systems that can handle medical delivery at a national scale.
Drones have proven their value in areas such as mapping and data collection, but when it comes to delivery, there are few examples of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, going beyond proof of concept flights.
With all the buzz surrounding drones for good, important distinctions — whether drones are remotely piloted or autonomous, what airspeeds and distances they can travel, and whether they can really work at scale — often get lost in the hype.