Deliver mail and produce beautiful pictures

There are currently around 100,000 drones in use in Switzerland. Most of these drones are made in China, but they are also being developed in Switzerland. The ETH in Zurich and the EPFL in Lausanne are conducting research in this area. Around twenty start-ups have already been founded as a result. Today, drones are mostly used in the hobby sector, occasionally in the area of protection and rescue, as well as for facade inspections on buildings or on construction sites. In Lugano, Swiss Post is transporting blood samples on a trial basis.

The hurdles are high
But for drones to be useful in an economic sense, more than innovative products are needed. For many purposes, existing systems already provide sufficient data, and there are proven means of transport that are relatively inexpensive. Only when, for example, hard-to-reach places can be accessed or new data can be combined with existing data, when new transport systems are cheaper and more efficient than conventional ones, do drones become interesting. In addition, the data collected via drones must be compatible with other systems. Standards are therefore needed to make this possible, approval tests to ensure safety, identification systems to ensure attribution, and a suitable infrastructure. It is important for all of this that cross-border regulations are developed from the outset as far as possible. This is why the International Organization for Standardization ISO is already active. Switzerland is also working on global solutions through the Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV). It is currently creating a new "Drones" standards committee, in which experts from Swiss companies and researchers can contribute their concerns and know-how and help shape international standardisation.

Braving the storm
An important challenge is to develop an identification system for drones so that they can be located and assigned as moving flying objects. Some kind of traffic system is also needed. Today's drones are "fair-weather drones". For widespread use, they need to be all-weather capable and able to safely avoid moving or fixed obstacles - such as a glider, a person or a crane. There must also be "traffic routes" and a guidance and monitoring system that defines free and inaccessible areas. The Aviation Research Center Switzerland (ARCS) is investigating whether this is possible with the help of the new 5G mobile network. The newly founded competence centre is headed by Prof. Dr Michel Guillaume from the Center for Aviation Studies (ZAV) at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).

Simplified authorisations
What is little known is that the ADS-95 air force drones have been in operation for almost 20 years. The Swiss Air Force uses these reconnaissance drones for border protection, for major events such as the WEF or to monitor traffic jams. If you want to use drones yourself, it is essential that you study the regulations governing their operation beforehand and, in the case of larger projects, obtain the necessary authorisation from the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). This is particularly necessary for drones weighing more than 30 kg and for flights over greater distances. The FOCA checks whether the technology of the drone is sufficiently safe. It also checks the geographical area of operation and the skills of the pilots. This effort is necessary because there is still no certification for drones. Only when the industry has developed certifications will simplified tests become possible. And such, in turn, will be easier to create if standardized classification systems, standards on material, production and maintenance exist. But also in the area of equipment and training of personnel, clear specifications will simplify the procedures.

When the time would come
Drone technology is promising. But there are still many steps to be taken before it can be used on a broad basis. If this happens in the next few years, drone missions will change our lives.