Flying drones with augmented reality apparently can be a lot more safer and enjoyable as the two technologies are becoming increasingly compatible.

Whether it is using the drones as a courier service to deliver parcels or in high risk industries like mining, the potential for drones is enormous and already we are seeing companies and individuals make use of them in both consumer and industrial fields.

However, with the increase in the use of drones the has also had to be more regulations as regulatory bodies wrestle with how best to ensure they are piloted safely without slowing innovation, a problem that some organisations are aiming to solve with the help of augmented reality.

The market value of the drone industry has increased massively and is projected to grow even more. Revenue from drone sales is forecast to top £9.6 billion by 2021 – a rise of £3.2 billion since 2015. This growth can in large part be attributed to the high-risk, high-reward industries that drones are increasingly being used in, such as manufacturing and mining as well as remote operations such as wind farms, oil and gas rigs, and crop fields.

In this increasingly regulated sector, augmented reality becomes vital. Rules around flying drones are becoming less focused on when and where drones are operated, and far more about the pilot’s visibility of the drone and how drones can be piloted in the safest way possible.

This is where visual line of sight comes in; the theory that a drone pilot should keep their drone within their visual sight at all times. Of course, with drones being used more and more in high-risk areas, achieving this is proving more difficult.

Drone pilots are increasingly relying on augmented reality smart glasses to effectively keep sight of and control their drones. With a view to developing cutting-edge technology, Epson and drone manufacturer DJI have collaborated on a pair of smart glasses with advanced head tracking sensors that enable the drone pilot to visualise a 360-degree canvas, while keeping track of the device and maintaining line of sight.