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There were more than 550,000 small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) registered in the first nine months of 2016. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aerospace Forecast estimates that there will be between 2.75 million and 4.47 million aircraft flown by hobbyists and between 0.24 million and 1.62 million aircraft flown commercially by 2021. The accompanying growth in air traffic could produce undesirable outcomes, such as an increase in bystander injuries or deaths as a result of aircraft crashes. Regulations, systems, and procedures could reduce the risk caused by additional sUAS operations below an acceptable threshold.

In this Perspective, we consider potential regulations for sUAS design, including aircraft certification requirements, and more-novel and more-flexible risk-based standards. We also consider the unique challenges of air traffic control for sUAS traffic and describe roles that could be played by the FAA and sUAS operators and manufacturers in the future, particularly with regard to the safety and efficiency of sUAS operations.