Colin Snow, CEO and founder of Drone Analyst, presented on commercial drone market trends and outlook. He discussed the major market segments, with precision agriculture and inspection/monitoring making up over half of current commercial drone use. DJI has the most Section 333 exemptions from the FAA, capturing nearly a quarter of the US market. Key takeaways included that multirotor drones will continue to lead fixed wing drones, and precision agriculture and GIS services like inspection and mapping will see significant growth. Adoption by public safety and first responders faces challenges around privacy and regulations.

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@ SUSB EXPO 2015
San Francisco, CA
April 30, 2015
Presented by:
Colin Snow
CEO and Founder
COMMERCIAL
DRONE
MARKETS
2015TRENDSANDOUTLOOK

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About
Connect:
• Web http://droneanalyst.com
• Twitter @droneanalyst
• Email colin@droneanalyst.com

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Drone roots 1936 model aircraft (manual)
Andrew Snow

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Drone roots 1972 remote control model aircraft (analog)

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Interest in
commercial drones
Based on Google search terms.
Numbers represent search interest
relative to the highest point on the
chart. This doesn't convey absolute
search volume
Remotely piloted aircraft systems (digital)

6. 6|
Interest in
commercial drones
Based on Google search terms.
Numbers represent search interest
relative to the highest point on the
chart. This doesn't convey absolute
search volume
Interest in Justin Bieber
Strong correlation?

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Major market
segments
1. Precision Agriculture
2. Inspection / Monitoring
3. Mapping / Surveying
4. Film / Photo / Video
5. Public Safety / First Responders

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12% 11% 9%
63%
4%
13%
22%
19%
31%
6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Precision Agriculture Inspection / Monitoring Mapping / Surveying Film / Photo / Video Public Safety / First
Responders
Survey Sec 333
Exemptions by
market
From 2014 survey Impact of FAA Rules
on sUAS Business. 297 validated
respondents representing sUAS
companies with annual revenues
spanning from US$100,000 to more than
US$10 million.
Source: Drone Analyst
Section 333 – 150 Specified Use Cases.
Approximate since several applications
specify more than one use, and others
are imprecise.
Source: Thompson Coburn, LLP
GIS

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Question Which drone manufacturer has the
most commercial exemptions for
U.S. operations?

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Answer Section 333 Exemptions as of March, 2015
Source Cooley, LLP
24%
10%
6%
6%
5%
4%
4%
2%
3%
3%
3%
3%
27%
DJI
Proprietary
senseFly eBee
Aeryon
Gryphon Dynamics
Altavian
Aerialtronics
3D Robotics
AscTec
RiteWing
Skycatch
Tactical Robotics
Others

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Market winners and
losers
Aircraft must be less than
55 lbs. (25 kg)
Daylight operations only
Cannot fly over people not
involved with the
operations

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Precision
Agriculture
Opportunities
Direct aircraft sales
Maps of individual
fields
Simple crop scouting
Insurance forensics
Multirotor
Challenges
Indirect services
Maps of large areas
NDVI or spectral
imaging
Incumbent providers
Fixed wing
Aerial spraying
Autonomous flights

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Inspection /
Monitoring
Opportunities
Bridges
Oil rigs
Refinery flare stacks
Cell towers
Wind turbines
Radio antenna
…etc.
Challenges
Occlusions & obstacles
Vertical structures
Data capture resolution
and accuracy

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Mapping / Surveying Opportunities
Small mines
Stockpiles
Easements
Shopping centers
Stadiums
…etc.
Challenges
Transportation
corridors
Large maps / BLOS
Fixed wing
Autonomous flights
Laser imaging
3D imaging
Data for architectural
engineering firms

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Film / Photo / Video Opportunities
Specialized aircraft
Specialized retailers
Better drone / camera
integration
Challenges
Market segmentation
Low barrier to entry
Operator training
Sense and avoid
Privacy
No-fly zones
Blurry segments:
Consumer
Prosumer
Professional
Cinema

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Public Safety / First
Responders
Opportunities
Disaster and
emergency response
Ad-hoc mapping
Accident forensics
VLOS search and
rescue
Challenges
No night time flights
Local and state laws
Privacy concerns
Fourth Amendment
concerns
BLOS search and
rescue

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Key takeaways 1. DJI will continue to be the preferred drone
manufacturer for both the consumer and
commercial markets.
2. Multirotors (VTOL sUAS) will continue to lead vs.
fixed wing
3. Precision agriculture service providers will struggle
to prove better ROI than incumbents.
4. The GIS market (inspecting, monitoring, mapping,
and surveying) will flourish.
5. Camera drones will continue to specialize.
6. Drone adoption by first responders may be good,
but adoption by local and state police agencies will
be fraught with continued controversy over privacy
and Fourth Amendment rights.

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