Drone makers form their own political lobbying group
DJI, GoPro, 3D Robotics and Parrot want to be sure the law is on their side.
Big drone makers aren't satisfied with existing efforts to get in the US government's good books, apparently. DJI, 3D Robotics, GoPro and Parrot have forged the Drone Manufacturers Alliance to lobby for a "carefully balanced regulatory framework" that makes sure drones are "safely integrated" into American skies. In plainer language, they want to make sure that regulation doesn't run counter to their interests -- they don't want their business to fizzle out because of a future law.
The move represents a split of sorts. Companies like 3D Robotics and DJI helped form an earlier group, the Small UAV Coalition, but jumped ship before kickstarting this new organization. This doesn't mean that they were upset with the Coalition's direction, but it does suggest that they wanted more direct representation of their hopes and fears.
