North Texas Developer Sees Future For Drones

Amazon's plans to use drones attracts attention to technology

Amazon made a big splash with its announcement that it might one day deliver packages by drone, but for a small group of drone developers in North Texas the future is already here.

"I'd love to see what we are going to have in 10 years, even in five years,” Romeo Espana said.

Espana develops drones for a Dallas technology company called Dialexa. He also helped start a North Texas group for people interested in drones.

He sees a big future for the remote-controlled aircraft.

"Simple stuff, inspecting roofs after a storm, search and rescue,” he said. “There's tons and tons (of uses).”

In the parking lot of his office near downtown Dallas, he shows visitors how easy drones are to fly. He is careful to keep them below 400 feet as the law requires.

The government is trying to come up with new regulations to cover drone use by 2015. Espana hopes the restrictions are eased so developers won't be so limited.

"There are so many technologies available now,” he said. “And this wonderful brain trust is coming together of the best and brightest in this country coming behind this and coming up with solutions.”

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