By Jacob Cowan
Unmanned aircraft systems are quickly becoming ubiquitous. Drones
have started to play a major role in the future of many industries. They are
one of the fastest growing technologies in recent years and have even sparked a
large enthusiast following. The original concept of drones started with
military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and has slowly transitioned to commercial
and civilian use. The newest developments have started to utilize “smart
technology” such as artificial intelligence to increase the versatility of new
products.
Recent news has criticized the use of drones due to privacy concerns.
How would you feel if a drone flew over you while you were relaxing by the
pool? Your answer would probably depend on who was flying the drone or for what
purpose. But if you are like most people, you would likely have some privacy
concerns. These news articles center around the fact that most drones have high-quality cameras that can relay video in real time to distances of up to a few
miles. This has led to the public wanting to know how this will affect privacy
and what the legal limitations are for drones.
Federal Aviation Administration regulations do not
specifically address flight over residential areas, says Dr. Ryan Wallace,
assistant professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University (ERAU). "So long as the UAS operator is compliant with
operational restrictions, there are no federal restrictions regarding
overflight of residential areas. Furthermore, anecdotal information would
suggest that the vast majority of UAS violators are not caught.” To many
members of the public, this sounds like a Wild West free for all. Many of them
view themselves as potential victims of privacy violations.
A different area of growth with unmanned aircraft systems is
automated delivery. The online retail giant Amazon has been working on
utilizing drones for package delivery – Amazon Prime Air. Amazon has been
testing drone delivery for years now, and it seems to be close. The main aspect
hinging this technology at the moment is regulation. The Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) is working with regulations to ensure safety. This can be related to the progress
of automated driverless cars, with the main caveat to legality being passenger
safety.
While it is still unknown what the future of drones may hold,
it is inevitable that drones will increasingly play a pivotal part in our daily
lives.
Questions:
1.
Why do you think drones have become so popular with
mainstream consumers in the last few years?
2.
What are the most interesting/exciting things you’ve
seen drones being used for?
3.
Some
people still worry they are dangerous, or that more drones in the air will lead
to more injuries and accidents, etc. A. What do you say to those people? And B.
What can we all do to prevent that (owners, legislators and manufacturers)?
I think drones have become popular because in the mainstream because humans have an obsession with the ability to fly, and a drone satisfies that itch. I would also say the rise of amateur Youtubers has led to the rise since a "drone shot" is an essential part of tech and travel vloggers.
ReplyDeleteIn a vacuum, I truly love the idea of drones delivering items to you instantaneously from when you order something; in actuality, I am terrified of it.
What it all comes down to in terms of safety from drones is how the government and world decides to regulate AI technology and the extent to which there will be regulations on it.
Drones have already been rolled out in remote areas around the world. In America, there are many regulations that are holding the roll out in big cities. The obvious reasons are how confine inner cities are. Drones will have to be able to maneuver through tight spaces and safely drop the package off at the right location. In remote areas, this is less of a problem because there are less obstacles to avoid. The most interesting usage of drones I have seen is a video of man being lifted over traffic by four high powered drones to bypass the wait. This was an interesting video and posed the question, can drones be used for transportation in the future?
ReplyDeleteI think that drones have become so popular partly due to their controversial nature. When it comes to drones, it seems like everyone has their opinion. In a world of increasing automation, it seems like developing technology is always met with some form of resistance. People get particularly spirited about their opinions of technology when their privacy or safety is called into question. Being that these are two major concerns with drones, it is reasonable to understand why people have been talking about it.
ReplyDeleteI would like to present some other controversial issues with the use of drones, and those are theft or trespassing. In response to Amazon attempting to implement the use of drones, many people worry that the drones will be stolen. If drones are above or on people's property, it is a concern that they will shoot down the drones or destroy them. Do you think that these are valid risks? Do you know if Amazon has a plan set up to mitigate these risks before they start using drones?
I think one of the most exciting things I have begun to see drones be used for in the business I operate in is in Marketing. I work for a real estate developer, and the ability to use drones to capture images and videos that can accurately represent a property for clients and investors who would otherwise be lost without. Creating value through this provides a much better communication and detail that was previously not available to companies who were limited to using normal fixed cameras and other products.
ReplyDeleteI believe drones have become very popular over the past couple of years because people's curiosity and creativity as to what the next best thing is. Drones are a trend that are used for personal and business use. In the past, I have used drones for creative activities such as videos and pictures, but have not had experience with a drone delivering a package to me. In addition, I have seen drones used for a concert. I attended an Odeza concert and they used drones around the stage to create light images and symbols in the sky. This was the coolest thing I have seen drones used for and hope the technology only improves so many other artists or musicians utilize them for the visual aspect.
ReplyDeleteJake I think drones have the potential to really expand into a multitude of industries. Personally, I like what amazon is trying to do in terms of the delivery of a package. The landing zones are something that they are still trying to work around and enhance. At the end of the day, it will take time, but Amazon is hoping to roll this plan out in the next few years after starting its development in 2014.
ReplyDeleteBelow is a link showing how Amazon plans to tackle this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB7gqGrmt8g