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Are Tethers the Answer To the Safety Issues of Follow-Me Drone Technology?
Hallie Siegel (2973169) writes Camera-equipped follow-me drone technology is hitting the scene in spades, promising extreme sports enthusiasts and others amazing aerial shots. Imagine, your own dynamic tripod that follows you on command. But what about the safety issue of having follow-me drones crowding the ski slopes? The tethered Fotokite addresses these concerns while sidestepping FAA regulations.
Sorry, but the logic here escapes me. Aren't the danger of crossed-tethers exponentially greater than the danger of colliding drones?
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I really don't want (amateur) pilots flying swarms of anything over my head at the beach/ski-slope/swimming pool. And tethering the drones to the pilots will mitigate what exactly?
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
Each public flight should be insured with the insurance agency knowing the risks of each flight. Tethers do nothing but add an additional liability as they add weight, may get caught up in trees or power lines, and will potentially cause damage in the case of a vehicle crash.
... call your office.
Good, now slap drones are a reality. I wouldn't mind having a slap drone following me around, despite the social stigma, because nobody ever talks to me anyway. But do these things have any conversational skills? I'm guessing no.
I'm sure the tether lines of multiple drones would never get crossed and cause any problems. Right?
A brain is a terrible thing to waste... Mind? That's debatable.
No.
Never happened. True story.
I guess what you're trying to say is that you're a lawyer?
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
simply no.
Gun control is using two hands. If you hit the target with your 9mm, neither the bullet nor the target are going anywhere.
Though we both agree that a .223 is pretty useless. Overkill for short range defense against humans, woefully underpowered for Zombie attacks. It's really the 12 gauge shotgun that is your friend - safe, accurate (well, you don't need to be really accurate), effective.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Yes it is side stepping, because the second you unsnap that tether, the 'kite' becomes a 'drone' (Despite how much i despise that term being used for hobbyist RC craft). which, as of late, is subject to a slew of FAA regulations. Also, I suspect if you flew a kite high enough in the right place, (like in the approach path of an airport) the FAA would come down on you like a sack of bricks.
I've decided to Diversify my Holdings. I've divided my cash between my left and right pockets, instead of all in one.
A 12 guage is also a useful 'remote control' for drones. You don't even need radio contact.
Perhaps I missed something, but the linked article (and also the Fotokite product/site) has absolutely nothing to do with safety. It talks about privacy/transparency.
A tether to a person on the ground only makes the devices even more unsafe, as they now get tangled with each other and other environmental hazards. Perhaps it would limit its range (which is not mentioned in the article), but a heavy device falling is a heavy device falling.
One thing that would increase drone safety would be an automatic parachute so when they do collide or lose power or go ape crazy, it can more softly return to earth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Control line aircraft are, according to some, (and citations of the supposed FAA response are never available) "motorized kites." Therefore having a permanent tether to the aircraft makes this model no longer subject to the same rules as a untethered aircraft (in theory). I am not sure if these are really parallel arguments though.
If use of a tether allows commercial operation of "camera drones" to resume then it is probably a good thing. Responsible operators taking reasonable precautions and safely operating their equipment allow for some useful services. There should be oversight for these operations though, but the industry should be encouraged not banned.
I do not want some yahoo with a model to crash and then think they have no responsibility to the resulting property damage though...
Laugh, it's good for you!
I think that as self-driving car technology improves, the collision detection technology will find its way into drones. This is not much of a safety issue. More of an annoyance. Welcome to the new world, just get used to shit whizzing through the air and doing stuff.
Currently hooked on AMP
The FAA doesn't use the term "drone" for anything. This thing, tethered or not, is a model aircraft. As long as it is used for hobby purposes within the guidelines for model aircraft, the FAA doesn't care. What the FAA does not allow is any unlicensed aircraft (which includes models, balloons, kites, gliders, rockets and probably tennis balls), tethered or not, to be used directly or indirectly for commercial purposes.
If the 5.56 is so useless for self-defense, why are many federal agencies buying them for use as defensive weapons for their officers? Personally, I think 9mm or .40 carbines would be better but opinions differ.
Ah yes, the old "some people will misuse it so lets ban it for all" argument. Why are you not also clamoring for severe restrictions on the purchase of computers, cameras of all kinds but especially any device capable of video recording, cars and boats? Every one of those has been used irresponsibly and illegally in the past and will be in the future.
I really rue the day that "r/c model aircraft" because a "drone". Suddenly, a toy is worth regulating, and it's become rather ridiculous.
Now we're talking about having to tether a model aircraft with a line, so that now we have entanglement issues?
Can somebody please add some reason?
I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
Well, I RTFA and it's bullshit. I was hoping for a way to have a drone follow you automatically by following the tension of the tether, like a kite, but that's not the case here. What I'd like to find is a way to hook up the drone/kite to me while mountain biking / extreme skiing and have it film from above while not having to control it. Does such a thing exist ?
Non-Linux Penguins ?
Just imagine these on a crowded ski slope, when every other ski runner has these. Not only will they tangle with each other, but also with the overhead ropes of ski lifts.
And if your particularly unlucky one stretch of tether might get tangled behind a rock while another stretch of the same tether gets tangled around a fellow skiers neck. No, I don't want these on any slope where I am skying. Even if the FAA don't have jurisdiction, hopefully the resorts will forbid them.
What the FAA does not allow is any unlicensed aircraft (which includes models, balloons, kites, gliders, rockets and probably tennis balls), tethered or not, to be used directly or indirectly for commercial purposes.
So, does this mean professional tennis tournaments are forbidden in the US? So, how are these guys able to skirt the FAA regulations?