Friday, July 15, 2016

DJI Taps AirMap For Drone Geofencing, Wildfire Avoidance

Drone maker DJI and Santa Monica-based drone mapping information provider AirMap said Thursday that the two are in a partnership, where DJI will use information from AirMap to help drone operators avoid wildfires. AirMap said it is now obtaining wildfire information directly from the U.S. Department of Interior, and pushes that out through its API and web apps--to reduce drone interference to firefighters. Drones flying around wildfires has been a big issue for firefighters over the last few years, even grounding firefighting operations when drones have gotten in the way of firefighting aircraft--causing fires to spread, and even threatening the safety of firefighters. DJI's GO app includes a geofencing system, which helps pilots avoid flying their drones near sensitive areas like airports, nuclear power plants, prisons, and other locations.

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