With the construction industry in Singapore evolving to embrace new technologies such as drone usage, the seminar on “Practical Applications and Legal Implications of Drone Technology in Construction Projects” organised by the Society of Construction Law (Singapore) could not be more timely.

At the Society of Construction Law (Singapore)’s kind invitation, I was given the opportunity to team up with Tim Risbridger from Arcadis to share our views on this fast developing frontier. As Tim’s company has deployed drones on a number of construction projects including for aerial survey and site inspection, he was well positioned to share the practical challenges of operating drones in a densely populated city like Singapore. Some practical problems shared include predicting with certainty drone flight paths when there are instances of unpredictable weather.

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Adding on to Tim’s insightful perspective on the actual usage of drone technology in construction projects, I shared with the audience the legal regulatory framework in which drones may be deployed in the construction industry. Key points highlighted in my section of the seminar included the type of permits parties must seek before deploying drones, the regulated areas and conduct in Singapore parties should be aware of, how privacy laws must also be adhered to and the new laws that will be rolled out in January 2020 to regulate drone usage.

Darren Benger who chaired and moderated the event did an excellent job of asking questions that tested the practical and legal limits of drone usage in construction and which left us with pertinent questions to ruminate over. One thing is for sure - with the rapid advancement of drone technology, the legal framework in respect of drone technology will have to continue to evolve to remain relevant to balance the twin objectives of privacy and safety on the one hand and time and cost efficiency of construction projects on the other.