Sterling Heights is getting serious about drones. The Detroit suburb has hired Airspace Link Inc. to see how ready it is for drones to start flying all over town, doing everything from checking out disaster zones to helping the cops find lost people, The Detroit News reported. Mayor Michael Taylor couldn't stop talking up the plan, saying, "The future is here, and Sterling Heights is embracing it," according to a statement covered by The Detroit News. The city's forking over about $10,000 for the lowdown on drones, which they fit into their $252 million annual budget.

City Manager Mark Vanderpool says the drone tech industry is ballooning—it made an economic impact of $1.25 billion in 2020 and might grow to more than $60 billion, the city's official press release shared. The city has this thing called the 2040 Visioning Plan—it's like a wish list for how to make life in Sterling Heights great. Drones are on it big time, promising a high quality of life through safety, sustainability, and mobility.

The company doing the assessment, Airspace Link, will put together a report with all the details on what Sterling Heights needs to dive into the drone world. CEO Michael Healander said “Our assessment will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of Sterling Heights’ drone ecosystem today, while capturing an inclusive view of their objectives for future UAS integration. It’s our mission to prepare Sterling Heights with the critical data and insights they need to leverage the transformative potential of this technology for the benefit of all their residents and businesses.”, as announced in a statement obtained from the city's website.