U.S. aviation regulators have approved the very first fully-automated commercial drone flights, allowing a Massachussett’s company, American Robotics, to fly its Scout quadcopter without a person directing the machine or keeping it in sight.

After four years of testing their fully-automated drones across eight US states, this decision represents a key moment in the commercial drone industry, as it will be allowed to operate continuously without using expensive human labor.

Yet, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clarified that this is only approved to be operated in rural areas, during the day, with visibility and in altitudes below 400 feet. Besides, it was also specified that the drones must have a maximum takeoff weight of 20 pounds and only be used for research, development, crew training, and market surveys.

The company is in charge of appointing a remote pilot in command for each flight who will be completely in charge and assure the security of the flight.

The drone in question will be using acoustic Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) technology in order to stay at a safe distance from other aircraft. Its use will be beneficial in many sectors such as agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, and energy, among others.

If this experiment is a success, it could open the way for future regulatory approvals for drones.