Scientists at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi are planning to expand testing of drones when they get FAA approval. Spokesperson Gloria Gallardo says the tests are trying to make the drones fail, so the bugs can be fixed.
“We fly a chase plane behind a UAS,” Gallardo explains, “because we're ready for things we test to have an issue or some sort of problem that we can log and find a solution for.”
She says some of the testing focuses on things like the GPS.
“If you have ever looked on your phone and it says you're on this street, when you know you're actually on another street,” she explains. “When you talking about an unmanned plane that doesn't have a set of eyes, that could cause potential issues.”