Drones May Turn Building Inspectors, If Proposed NYC Law Is Passed

Drones may soon help New York City take care of aging infrastructure if a proposed city law is passed. The New York City Council members have proposed legislation that would allow drones to conduct building inspections within 48 hours of a complaint being filed or violation is confirmed.

The proposed legislation allows a robotic vehicle such as the Mavic Pro 2 drone to use infra-red technology and conventional cameras to look for issues such as cracks and inspect roof conditions.

The drones will cost $2,500 but will reduce overall costs as it would be a one-time expenditure. The proposal also directs the department to outsource the drone inspections to private companies and charge building owners for them.

This kind of modernization may provide a sustainable solution for many government departments such as the NYC building department which have been continuously short-staffed and affected by budget shortages. An even more important aspect of such inspections is that they will make the process quicker and if they are able to catch anomalies in time, save many lives.

The proposal comes soon after falling debris from a building, which had been fined for violations killed architect Erica Tishman, who was walking below. Had a speedier inspection taken place, pedestrians could have been forewarned and measures to repair the building would have taken in time.

However, the proposal has a long way to go. Currently, the city is run on 1940s laws, many of which do not allow the use of robotic vehicles such as drones. The city would have to amend its existing laws for such measures to succeed.

If it can happen though, drones may become a viable solution for a problem faced by the city. If the model can be implemented, it may stand out as a sustainable solution for many cities globally.