Drones are making it on the news more, and more often than not, it’s for all the wrong reasons — landing on the White House or getting in the path of an airplane.
The Federal Aviation Administration is trying to keep up with the growing popularity of unmanned aircraft as they finalize regulations to protect the skies and people from drones.
Drone sales soared during the holiday season. Last month, a drone landed on the White House lawn.
Last week, drones were spotted by pilots as they tried to land an airplane.
Now, all eyes are on the Federal Aviation Administration to police the potentially dangerous use of the drones.
"They have to make a whole federal aviation regulation — a whole chapter in the federal aviation regulations to support the operation of unmanned aircraft systems," said Dr. John Robbins, who specializes at unmanned aircraft studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.
The FAA is expected to begin laying out new rules regulating drones, such as where they are allowed to fly and penalties for people who violate the new rules.
FAA officials are gathering information from pilots and professors at Embry-Riddle for guidance.
Robbins predicts the FAA will push drone manufacturers to install technology that will keep the unmanned aircraft away from planes in midair.
"The unmanned aircraft's system's ability to sense manned aircraft or the proximity to manned aircraft and their ability to avoid them," Robbins said.
FAA-required technology would also keep drones away from places like the White House, airports and other no-fly zones.
All unmanned aircraft will eventually fall under the FAA's new regulations regardless of when they were purchased.
Drones are also capable of being hacked, and the owner of the unmanned aircraft could be penalized or fined under the FAA's new rules even if someone else took control.