Expert Opinion
AIN Blog: Drone Year Retrospective, Uncertain Karma
There were fits and starts with both consumer and commercial drones as the FAA's Part 107 regulation brought much needed definition.
Action camera company GoPro recalled its first drone, the Karma quadcopter, weeks after releasing it to the market. (Photo: GoPro)
Action camera company GoPro recalled its first drone, the Karma quadcopter, weeks after releasing it to the market. (Photo: GoPro)

The August effective date of the FAA’s Part 107 regulation for the commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems capped a consequential year for both the commercial and consumer drone markets. Summarized below are some noteworthy developments, ironies and observations.

Action camera company GoPro was officially “stoked” when it unveiled its new Karma foldable quadcopter on September 19, but the enthusiasm proved to be premature. Just over two weeks after Karma hit the market on October 23, GoPro recalled some 2,500 units, explaining that “a very small number” of customers had reported incidents of Karmas losing battery power while flying.

Bill Carey
About the author
See more by this author