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Only Self-Awareness Can Keep Drones Out of Do Not Fly Zones

Posted by Soulskill on from the what-could-possibly-go-wrong dept.

szczys writes: Chris Anderson is on the bleeding edge of the drone world, having founded 3D Robotics (drone manufacturer) and DIY Drones (enthusiast site). He takes on the issue of people flying drones where they shouldn't, and concludes that making drones self aware is the best solution. This isn't the "robots are trying to kill you" type of self awareness. Instead, it considers drone type, operator, and location, to establish if all those factors equate to a safe flight area. This is an important issue — in the last few months, there have been several stories about drones in places they should not have been. This included incidents like disrupting the efforts of airborne firefighting and interfering with a police manhunt.

4 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. No... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Make it a felony to operate a drone in no fly zones, problem solved.

    1. Re:No... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      My RC quadcopter (or "Drone") to the uninformed. Might, and I mean MIGHT weigh an ounce with the battery. An anemic puppy could destroy it in seconds. It carries no cameras and if I stop giving it real time instructions it will pretty much fall from the sky.

      This is the "drone" that has fallen from the sky and landed on my cat and did not even wake the cat.

      Yet I cannot take it to the local park because it is within a couple miles of an airport. This thing couldn't even make it to the airport on a single battery charge! Now you want to throw people in the slammer for it?

      Way to overreact.

  2. Drones and Morons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whenever I read an article about "drones" they are invariable talking about radio controlled quad copters. They're not autonomous, they're controlled by individuals. People have been flying radio controlled planes as a hobby for 60+ years. We don't have a drone problem, we have a moron problem.

  3. Get Over Yourself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How do you feel about over flights from:
    Helicopters (Private, commercial, ambulance, police, military)
    Light aircraft( hot air balloons, paragliders, hang gliders, ultralights)
    Private aircraft.
    Commercial/military jets.
    Imaging satellites.

    You don't think twice about any of these aircraft, and many are indeed photographing you and your property(Google and government imaging, property appraiser aerial photography...). But a $800 toy helicopter draws a knee jerk reaction? Get over yourself!