News

Michigan launches drone pilot programs to strengthen rapid response, manufacturing  

Several state agencies are analyzing how drones could improve operations in Michigan.

Chief Mobility Officer Justine Johnson tells Brownfield five pilot programs have been announced as part of statewide Advanced Air Mobility challenges.

“The next step here is to really think about what are the different data points that we’re going to get from having this type of technology now being deployed and what are some of the key lessons we’re going to learn from this.”

The Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Natural Resources, Transportation, and the Michigan State Police have identified issues that could be addressed with aerial intelligence.

Johnson says water quality testing and pesticide drift investigations are among the potential applications.

“If they’re doing water quality sampling, they’re going to be actually getting into the water, collecting little, small specimens of water—that’s going to be kind of cool,” she shares. “But then the other piece of this, some of them are more doing an analysis.”

She says the projects will help determine where drone technology could be expanded across state government and create new manufacturing opportunities.

The initiative supports the federal Unleashing American Drone Dominance executive orders issued in June 2025.