Three of AgEagle’s eBee X series drones are the first to pass Virginia Tech’s set of test methods for drones flying over people.

Now that the testing method is approved, Virginia Tech can work with drone manufacturers to conduct tests and design new models of aircrafts.

Virginia Tech hailed the U.S. Department of Transportation’s BEYOND program, which is intended to foster stakeholder engagement in safely integrating aerial drones into the U.S. airspace for commercial uses.

The Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership and NASA have been conducting drone tests to see if autonomous systems can enable drones to avoid other air traffic.