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Hit the Wrong Button, Drone Goes Boom

Posted by Soulskill on from the my-controller-ran-out-of-batteries dept.

ios and web coder writes "An article at Ars notes, 'Unmanned aircraft crash. In fact, they crash a lot—though there's no recent specific data, the Congressional Research Service reported last year that despite improvements, "the accident rate for unmanned aircraft is still far above that of manned aircraft.' And while many of those accidents can be attributed to being exposed to hostile fire or operating in conditions when aircraft normally wouldn't, a significant percentage of drone crashes is caused by human error. A December 2004 FAA study of Defense Department drone crashes found human factors to be a causal factor in about a third of the cases they examined (PDF).' Drones are un-cheap. As yesterday's Super Hornet story noted, they are cheaper than manned planes... but not that much cheaper. Expect them to get more expensive. Also, as they get armed, the price paid for a bad UX decision could become quite tragic."

3 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Un-word by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Un-cheap" is not a word. TFS should say "not cheap". Can we please have some minimal editing for language in future?

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    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  2. Re:2004? by CanHasDIY · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Data is always valid.

    What you meant to ask is, "does that [2004] data apply to the current situation?"

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    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  3. The study was done WHEN? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A December 2004 FAA study of Defense Department drone crashes found human factors to be a causal factor...

    You've got to be shitting me.

    A news story based on a decade-old study?

    In other news, a 2004 study shows that your iPad does not exist!

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    You are welcome on my lawn.