China-based drone manufacturer DJI announced Monday that the latest firmware update to its “GEO” geofencing system reclassifies Restricted Zones (aka No Fly Zones) as Enhanced Warning Zones. The change means that drone operators are now responsible for monitoring their aircraft to ensure they do not encroach on FAA-designated flight restriction areas, as opposed to the automatic GPS-derived “fencing” that would not allow the drone to enter the restricted airspace. DJI said the changes align with similar changes implemented last year in Europe, and place “control back in the hands of the drone operators, in line with regulatory principles of the operator bearing final responsibility.”
The firmware update comes a few days after the collision of a DJI drone with a “Super Scooper” water bomber battling wildfires in Los Angeles. That investigation is ongoing, with the drone’s operators at risk of prosecution leading to heavy fines, prison time, or both.
According to the news website Hunterbrook, which is associated with an investment counseling firm of the same name, the U.S. Department of Defense recently added DJI to its list of Entities Identified as Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States. According to the website, the U.S. House of Representatives last year passed the bipartisan Countering CCP Drones Act. Not yet signed into law, the law would add DJI to the Covered List of the Federal Communications Commission, which would effectively ban the sale of any new DJI drones in the U.S. According to reports, DJI currently controls some 90 percent of the drone market in the country.
DJI wrote in the announcement, “When DJI first introduced the GEO system in 2013, consumer drones were still a relatively novel technology, and formal drone flight rules and regulations were sparse. The geofencing system was created as a voluntary built-in safety feature to help foster responsible flight practices and prevent DJI drone operators from unintentionally flying in restricted airspace, such as around government buildings, airports, or prisons. Since then, global regulations and user awareness have evolved significantly, with a greater focus on geo-awareness and Remote ID solutions which makes detection and enforcement much easier.”
Recent news reports following the collision in Los Angeles dispute the DJI assessment that Remote ID – essentially the drone form of ADS-B identification technology – is an effective technology for monitoring drone activity. The website Dronexl wrote of the Los Angeles collision: “The incident highlights a critical weakness in the current drone regulatory framework – the challenge of enforcing compliance with flight restrictions during emergency operations. While manufacturers like DJI implement technological solutions such as geofencing, the effectiveness of these measures ultimately depends on operator compliance. The Drone Industry must continue to innovate in developing foolproof safety systems while regulators work to enhance enforcement capabilities and penalties for violations.”
