State Farm Insurance announced Tuesday, March 17, it has been given permission by the Federal Aviation Administration to test drones for commercial use.

State Farm plans to study using the unmanned aircraft to assess damage to large structures and respond to natural disasters. The company feels the use of drones will help speed up the claims process, to the benefit of customers.

Initial testing will be performed at private sites in Bloomington, IL. The plan is to eventually expand the study to test the drones in real world situations.

The FAA has been in the beginning stages of approving commercial entities to use drones. State Farm indicated it is the first US insurer to be given approval.

Source: WANE