Friday, February 3, 2012

Tech - High time to welcome the friendly drones

ATTEMPTS to fly drones in civilian airspace are a classic example of an irresistible force (innovation) meeting an immovable object (the law). While commercial innovators have been champing at the bit to deploy drones in all kinds of civilian roles, aviation law has mostly prevented it.
Not for much longer. Proposed changes in the US and Europe mean that uncrewed aircraft of all shapes and sizes could go mainstream in the next couple of years, surveying buildings, fertilising fields, sniffing out pollution and more (see "Civilian drones to fill the skies after law shake-up").
It won't be plain sailing. In the iron grip of the military, drones have acquired a reputation as flying dealers of death. Civilians will have to be won over to the new era of friendly drones. But that shouldn't be too much of a stretch given that civilian craft will have more in common with remote-controlled hobby aircraft than sinister military machines.
It has been a long time coming. The first powered, fixed-wing aircraft ever to fly was an uncontrolled steam-powered drone built by American aviation pioneer Samuel Langley. That was in 1896. It's high time we got our drones back.

http://www.newscientist.com/

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