Brian Krzanich has been a massive proponent of drones ever since taking over the CEO’s chair at Intel Corp. almost three years ago. During that time he’s spoken about the merits of the technology at numerous shows, shown off the company’s RealSense 3D camera technology to anyone that will listen, invested in numerous drone makers (Airware, PrecisionHawk and Yuneec International), and even bought one software maker for drones outright (Ascending Technologies GmbH).

With such big bets on drones, it’s clearly in Intel’s interest that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) establishes concrete guidelines on their use in U.S. airspace as soon as possible, and Krzanich is set to have a big say in when that will happen, and what those guidelines will entail. The Intel CEO has just been appointed to chair an advisory committee to address “integration strategies” regarding UAVs. The “Drone Advisory Coucil” is tasked with bringing a wide range of voices into the debate around drones operating in U.S. skies, said Michael Huerta, the FAA’s Administrator, at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) conference last week.

Huerta explained that these debates were all about achieving “that perfect balance” between integration and safety. “We know that our policies and overall regulation of this segment of aviation will be more successful if we have the backing of a strong, diverse coalition,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Krzanich said that a “positive regulatory environment” would help to bolster innovation and industry expansion around drones.

“As a technology partner in the UAS [unmanned aircraft system] ecosystem, our work at Intel has given us relevant insight into issues faced by a wide range of stakeholders,” Krzanich said. “The creation of the Drone Advisory Council is an excellent step forward for all in this industry.”

In another development, Huerta said the FAA is changing the rules to make it easier for students to use drones in their research efforts. As of today, schools and students no longer require Section 333 exemption to fly drones, so long as they follow the same rules that apply to model aircraft. This will be a “significant shot in the arm for innovation,” Huerta said.

At the AUVSI conference, Intel showed off some of its newest drone capabilities when it put on an airborne ‘dance’ show involving 100 drones, flying above the night skies at Palm Springs, California. Intel received special clearance from the FAA to put on the performance, which saw a single pilot control all 100 drones. Ascending Technologies manufactured the drones and built the software.

“At Intel, we’re starting to explore with events like this, where we really stretch the limits of how you can control 100 robots in the air at once,” Krzanich commented at the event. He added that the plan is to expand the capability from flying hundreds of drones to thousands of drones at once.

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