Meet the Drone Registration Task Force (roboticstrends.com)

An anonymous reader writes: The FAA has named the 25-member task force that will make recommendations for drone registration. Amazon has 2 members in the group, joining Google, Walmart, DJI, 3D Robotics and others. The group will meet formally from Nov. 3-5 before developing recommendations on a streamlined registration process and minimum requirements on which drones should be registered. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx has set a deadline of Nov. 20 for the task force to complete its recommendations and work is already underway.

Comments

Droning on and on

[pr0t0]

I know this is probably being pedantic at this point, but can their first recommendation be to stop calling them "drones"? I feel like words matter, and what we say imparts connotations. Shouldn't we have a lexicon that in some way distinguishes recreational R/C hobby aircraft from mission-specific autonomous or semi-autonomous aircraft. The media absolutely refuses to make this distinction, and I have to wonder if the reason for that was initially to demonize the recreational variety and now it's just a simple matter of inertia.

Since I'm not an enthusiast myself, I wouldn't mind hearing from people who are to find out what their take on the current vocabulary is.

Re:Droning on and on

[PvtVoid]

I know this is probably being pedantic at this point, but can their first recommendation be to stop calling them "drones"? I feel like words matter, and what we say imparts connotations. Shouldn't we have a lexicon that in some way distinguishes recreational R/C hobby aircraft from mission-specific autonomous or semi-autonomous aircraft.

These things are semi-autonomous. Even the most basic DJI drones, for example, have automated return-to-base functionality in the event of a lost control signal. It's pretty fucking cool: turn off the transmitter (under properly controlled and safe circumstances blah blah blah) and they climb to 60 feet, cruise back to their starting point, and execute a perfect landing. All by themselves.

Re:Anyway

[Yetihehe]

Then you can just shoot or intercept any unregistered drone. Time to get my drone hunting license...