AV News: Drone CEO's visit White House

Under the new White House administration, many policies across the board could be changing. That includes the drone industry and the future use of drone technology. Tyler Mason talked to one drone executive to was able to visit the White House to share his thoughts with the president. You might not know George Mathew’s name, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen pictures of him showing a drone to president Donald Trump. Mathew, the CEO of drone manufacturer Kespry, was one of several technology executives invited to the White House in late June. Kespry was one of a handful of drone companies at the meeting. Also invited were executives from the IOT and 5G fields. Mathew, however, had the privilege of bringing the first-ever drone into the White House — after it passed an inspection from the Secret Service, of course. “If you notice the president’s face when I went through the specifications of the drone, he was kind of paying attention to how I was describing not only the drone itself but also some of the characteristics of how it was engineered and the use cases surrounding it. He had that look of, ‘Wow, this is mind-blowing, the technology that was involved.’” That meeting back in June may have not garnered many headlines in the political world, but it was a big deal in the world of drones. As drone regulations continue to be a hot topic of discussion, many wonder how the Trump administration will handle the ever-changing industry. “My takeaway was that we had an administration that was willing and capable of really digging in and understanding where technology could be most beneficial for the economic environment to be able to continue to improve and the ability for technology to serve the country — particularly from a commercial perspective. Everything we discussed was along that line. It was a surprisingly focused set of conversations.” Kespry, founded in 2013, focuses on the commercial use of drones. The company specializes in industrial uses including mining, aggregates and roofing. Like many drone companies, the future of Kespry will depend on laws made or changed by the FAA. After visiting the White House, Mathew is optimistic that the current administration views drones as an important part of the growth of the country — and he and others in the industry can help shape legislation. “I couldn’t have been more delighted. It was more than just a PR opportunity. It was an actual opportunity to help set policy. We’re looking forward to going back to the White House and spending more time with the rest of the administration as they are forging ahead on some of these policies. Hopefully some of the politics will get out of the way and some work can actually be done.”