5 must-do items at Commercial UAV Expo 2024 in Vegas this week

The Commercial UAV Expo is back for its 10th iteration this week. Running from Sept. 3-5, 2024, the expo occurs in the heart of Las Vegas at the Caesars Forum. There, innovation meets the sky, as the Commercial UAV Expo is considered one of the most top-tier drone conferences every year.

For the 2024 edition of the Commercial UAV Expo, expect 3,750 attendees from across 75 countries. The expo hall is a highlight, and this year, expect about 225 exhibitors.

Like most drone conferences, expect to see big product launches (and to be able to get your hands on those new products) at Commercial UAV Expo 2024. Anticipate keynotes with well-known professionals, and leave time in your calendar for impromptu networking.

All that said, there are a few major pieces of news and product launches that you should be aware of — so you can check it all out for yourself in person during the event.

All the news and products discussed below are set to drop at Commercial UAV Expo 2024. Yet this week is set to be chock full of all sorts of other drone news, including the launch of the new DJI NEO drone.

But until then — and because Commercial UAV Expo 2024 — here are the top things to see specifically at the drone conference in Vegas this week:

ACSL launches new thermal camera

Japanese drone maker ACSL launched a new thermal camera on Sept. 3. Designed to work with its SOTEN drone (though it can work with other ACSL drones), the stabilized, thermal camera uses a Boson sensor mounted to a 3-axis gimbal. Offering a resolution of 640×512, it has an effective focal length of 13.8mm and a 32° HFOV. It captures video at 640X512 @60 Hz.

Meanwhile, the electro-optical sensor records photos up to 64MP photos and 4K video at 30 Hz, while offering an effective focal length of 4.8mm and 67° HFOV.

The SOTEN drone is designed and manufactured in Japan, and it’s NDAA compliant. And the new ACSL thermal camera is just one of many new launches the company has unveiled since landing in the U.S. at the beginning of 2024. That includes a new, NDAA-compliant smart controller called TENSO.

That said, the new thermal camera for this drone isn’t quite ready yet. It won’t be ready for purchase until later this year. That said, you can see a demo unit for yourself at Commercial UAV Expo 2024. They’re at booth #541.

Part 108 details to come

We’re all familiar with the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone regulations under Part 107. These rules govern the operation of small drones for commercial (aka non-hobbyist) purposes.

But Part 108 is on the horizon. Once it’s introduced, it could entail new regulatory standards for how we integrate drones into controlled airspace, particularly in terms of security protocols or expanded operational permissions. And it could hugely affect drone operators by introducing stricter certification requirements, new operational limits and likely more robust safety and security standards.

It has huge implications particularly for drones flying beyond visual line of site, which affects work like drone deliveries.

We don’t know much about Part 108 for now, but expect news surrounding Part 108 to come out of Commercial UAV Expo 2024. A panel at 2:45 p.m. on Sept. 5 asks the FAA directly what to expect in terms of Part 108. And just before that at 11:45 a.m., a panel will dig into Part 108 industry standards for compliance. That panel entails not just FAA representation, but also key representation from major drone delivery companies including Wing and Zipline.

And don’t miss the Part 108 brief on Sept. 4, the day prior, where a bunch of FAA leaders will share insights on what the future regulatory environment looks like for BVLOS operations.

A2Z Drone Delivery releases portfolio of drone docks

A2Z is working on a way to scale how we charge delivery drones. The California-based drone delivery company recently launched a portfolio of autonomous drone docks. With it comes a companion drone designed specifically to work with the system’s automatic charging capability.

What is a drone dock? A drone dock can take on different meaning depending on who you ask, but it’s generally anything that functions as a landing and charging station for drones. With it, drones have a safe and convenient location to land and recharge their batteries — all without requiring manual intervention by an operator.

In a drone delivery sense, drones could deliver to broader areas as they wouldn’t have to return to their takeoff point in order to recharge, but instead could recharge out docking points anywhere around a region.

The launch of A2Z AirDock also takes the company purely from a company that manufactures commercial drone delivery hardware to a more holistic provider of drone-network-as-a-service (DNaaS).

See A2Z at the Commercial UAV Expo 2024 over at booth #841.

A FAA town hall

Want to ask question to the FAA directly? There’s a good opportunity to do so as part of the FAA Public Safety and Security UAS Town Hall Meeting, set for Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. In this 90 minute meeting, you’ll be able to learn about Certificates of Authorizations (COAs), Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, Remote ID and more.

Though it’s geared toward first responders and emergency services professionals, it’s a good opportunity for anyone in attendance to get face time with key leaders at the FAA.

All the other new stuff in Vegas for 2024

Of course, you can’t go to Vegas for a drone conference and not do all the other Vegas classics. And beyond the classics, there’s tons of new stuff in Vegas in 2024 too.

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Head over to Play Playground, which is a board game and playground inspired bar for adults. It’s great for groups. If you’re going out solo (or in a smaller group) head to Pinky Ring in the Bellagio for drinks and classy music.

No matter what you’re doing in Vegas, there are ways you can save on a Vegas trip. For starters, there’s lots of free and cheap things to do in Vegas. You might even book your Vegas hotel for free on points. And don’t miss the Las Vegas airport lounges (you may have free access through your credit card).