Taiwan News
Date: 2017/02/13
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

An information technology research company estimated in a recent report that almost three million drones will be produced in 2017, 39 percent more than in 2016.

Drones’ popularity in the civil markets (personal and commercial) has not diminished even though these markets have been wading through regulation by various governments, according to Gartner, Inc. The overall drone market will see substantial growth, but the dynamics of the personal and commercial submarkets are very different, Gartner analysts said.

As an affordable extension of consumers’ smartphones for taking photographs and selfies and for other entertainment options, Gartner expects personal drones to continue increasing in popularity. “They can fly a short distance and time, typically no more than 5,000 meters and for one hour, with flight height constrained to within 500 meters. They weigh less than 2 kilograms and are priced less than US$5,000,” the report says.    [FULL  STORY]