Watch a Drone Fly Around—and Crash—During a Congressional Hearing
Kin Cheung/AP
By
Dustin Volz
The perks of being in Congress include live drone demos.
Congressional hearings tend to be staid affairs, but on Wednesday some lawmakers got to watch a drone take flight—and then crash into the floor.
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee's hearing on the integration of commercial drones took an unusual turn when Colin Guinn, senior vice president of sales for 3D Robotics, decided to show off his Parrot Bebop drone during his testimony.
As the device flies around the room, lawmakers find it difficult to contain the awe on their faces. Thankfully, the magic was caught on C-SPAN:
"I was hoping you would fly over the whole room, not just one location," Chairman Lamar Smith said after the device landed.
"You said no haircuts!" Guinn quipped.
At another demonstration at the hearing, the drone had a faulty takeoff and crashed, but it was uninjured. Watch below:
Congress has tasked the Federal Aviation Administration with readying airspace for the integration of commercial drones. Drones are currently prohibited for use, but the FAA has granted a growing number of exemptions for certain industries. Earlier this month, regulators gave CNN the go-ahead to test drone systems for news-gathering purposes.