[UAS] Message from DJI about using Drones in Academic Research

[David Shaner LeBauer]

Dear all,

After Adam Lisberg from DJI gave a talk on the use of DJI Drones in
Research at the 2022 UA Drone Day, a number of participants requested
further information.

Sincerely,

David

Note: I am forwarding the email and attachment for informational
purposes by participant request. This forum is open to all on-topic
viewpoints.

On Fri, Mar 4, 2022 at 12:23 PM adam.lisberg <adam.lisberg at dji.com> wrote:

> *External Email*
>
> Hi David – thanks for reaching out. I’m the head US spokesman for DJI, and
> you should feel free to reach out to me directly in the future. I
> appreciate your interest in how academic researchers can preserve their
> ability to choose the best drones for their needs, given the anti-DJI
> sentiment being stirred up by people who don’t understand the issue or its
> consequences.
>
>
>
> The good news is that DJI drones are largely still able to be used for
> academic research. Most governmental restrictions in place apply in various
> ways to the Defense, Justice and Homeland Security departments, and they
> all include provisions for exemptions or waivers if a DJI drone is clearly
> the only one suited for the job. The strongest restriction I’m aware of
> that could apply to academic researchers is through the Interior
> Department, which in 2020 was forced to ground all non-emergency drone
> flights using DJI products. That has affected conservation research across
> the country performed through Interior agencies such as the US Geological
> Survey, the Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.
>
>
>
> However, a bill pending in Congress would put much harsher restrictions in
> place. It would prohibit most of the federal government from buying,
> operating, contracting or otherwise allowing the use of any drone made by a
> Chinese company. That would effectively ban any use of drones by DJI (or
> any of our Chinese competitors) on federal projects or on operations that
> use federal grants. You can read the text of that bill (the “American
> Security Drone Act”) here
> <https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/73/text>; it is
> incorporated into the Senate’s omnibus China bill, known as USICA
> <https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1260> (“United
> States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021”).
>
>
>
> As you and your colleagues know, there are not many workable alternatives
> to DJI products. We are proud to make the most capable drone products for
> professional uses, and customers around the world choose our drones because
> they are the most reliable, powerful and cost-effective. Most non-Chinese
> options cost more, cannot do as much, and fail more frequently. We strongly
> oppose government restrictions that take away drone users’ ability to
> choose the best products for their needs.
>
>
>
> The stated reason for many of these proposed restrictions is to protect
> sensitive American data from being collected by the Chinese government. We
> have repeatedly debunked these claims, and even our harshest critics have
> been unable to provide any evidence that their fears have any merit. DJI
> users can fly without any internet data connection and are able to keep
> their photos, videos and flight logs entirely within their control; we can
> provide you with copious documentation backing this, as well as independent
> validations by U.S. government agencies and private cybersecurity experts.
> More to the point, it’s hard to imagine that scientific research involving
> drones, designed to be freely published and disseminated, could pose any
> national security risk.
>
>
>
> To preserve access to DJI products for scientific and academic purposes,
> we would strongly encourage you and your colleagues to speak up. Contacting
> your representatives in Congress, both individually and through your
> institutions, can help explain the real-world cost to your research if you
> are suddenly unable to use the scientific tools you already have. Both the
> Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Association of Public
> and Land-grant Universities (APLU) are familiar with the issue and have
> raised it with Congress in the past. We would encourage you to contact your
> institutions’ government relations departments as quickly as possible and
> ask them to tell your Congressional representatives that retaining the
> American Security Drone Act in the Senate USICA bill would have strong
> negative consequences for you and your colleagues.
>
>
>
> Please let us know how we can provide further assistance. Thank you again
> for your interest.
>
>
>
> *Adam Lisberg*
>
> Corporate Communication Director, North America
>
> *DJI Technology Inc.*
>
> 131 Varick St., Suite 1029, New York, NY 10013
>
> Mobile: +1 917-734-5874 | Social: @adamlisberg
>
> adam.lisberg at dji.com | www.dji.com
>
>
>
>
> 此电子邮件及附件所包含内容具有机密性，且仅限于接收人使用。未经允许，禁止第三人阅读、复制或传播该电子邮件中的任何信息。如果您不属于以上电子邮件的目标
> 接收者，请您立即通知发送人并删除原电子邮件及其相关的附件。
>
> This email and any attachments thereto may contain private, confidential,
> and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any
> review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto)
> by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient,
> please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original
> and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto.
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://list.cals.arizona.edu/pipermail/uas/attachments/20220411/92511756/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: FAQs - American Security Drone Act - USICA V3.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 460019 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://list.cals.arizona.edu/pipermail/uas/attachments/20220411/92511756/attachment-0001.pdf>