Low hanging Robotic Fruit

Following the principles of the 'Lean Start-up' - what are the minimum viable products we could offer?

A.  SERVICES

1. Aerial Photography using drones.  Like these guys
1. For estate agents selling homes
2. For land registry?
3. For agricultural monitoring?
4. Sub-contracting for local authority?
5. Have a go at flying a drone
1. Pilot's lessons
2. Fun days
2. Mobile water quality monitoring, either surface or sub-surface
3. Underwater inspection, wreck visits, etc?

B.  PRODUCTS

1. Selling drones, subs, and boats.
2. Software which enables these things to operate.
3. Hardware, ditto.

But note that

•  'The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must maintain direct, unaided visual contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the purpose of avoiding collisions' 
• The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must not fly the aircraft for the purposes of aerial work except in accordance with a permission granted by the CAA.
• source ANO article 166

•  The person in charge of a small unmanned surveillance aircraft must not fly the aircraft in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (2) except in accordance with a permission issued by the CAA.
  (2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are—
  (a)over or within 150 metres of any congested area;
  (b)over or within 150 metres of an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons;
  (c)within 50 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft; or
  (d)subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), within 50 metres of any person.

The CAA 722 document is here and leads us to the following, in Section 3;

For an unmanned aerial vehicle used for commercial purposes, and under 20 kg, the operator is required to have a BNUC-S (Level 1) licence.

Part 1 (2 day school + exam) 700 + VAT
Part 2 (flight exam) 350 + VAT

(Phone call to EuroUSC, 30.5.2013)

Also, Operators who intend to conduct aerial work using SUA are required to apply for a permission from the CAA in accordance with ANO 2009 Article 166.  (see above).

Vehicles of less than 20kg weight are not required to be registered.

Hmm... there's a lot of detail here.  We could have a go at this but we'll need to read the CAA docs carefully so we understand the limitations on where we can fly.