DronesDrones set to become ubiquitous in U.S. airspace

From cropdusting to pipeline inspections, UAVs grow in applications // Source: phibetaiota.net

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could soon become commonplace in U.S. civilian airspace with farmers using them to spray crops, police deploying drones to gather intelligence ,and utility companies using them to monitor oil, gas, and water pipelines.

Next January the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to release new regulations on the use of small drones in the United States. So far the FAA has issued 266 active testing permits for drones to operate in civilian airspace, but it has not officially condoned their use due to concerns that unmanned vehicles lack proper “detect, sense, and avoid” capabilities to avoid midair collisions.

With drones costing far less than operating and maintaining helicopters, police departments have expressed keen interest in the technology, especially as many departments struggle with steep budget cuts.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recently purchased a fleet of twelve new helicopters for $1.7 million each. In contrast, a drone that could fulfill the same mission, tracking suspects, overseeing car-chases, and finding missing people would cost roughly $40,000.

Commander Bob Osborne of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department, said there is “no doubt” the department wants to purchase drones.

The only thing stopping them, Osborne said, is “that the FAA hasn’t come up with workable rules that we can harness it. If those roadblocks were down, we’d want to use it.”

Meanwhile police departments in Texas, Florida, and Minnesota have also expressed similar interest in deploying drones.

Privacy advocates argue that before drones become ubiquitous issues of civil liberties violations must first be addressed.

“It’s important that the FAA is scrutinizing the safety of the technology, but they should also make sure Americans’ privacy is maintained,” said Catherine Crump, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. “Having cheap, portable, flying surveillance machines may have a tremendous benefit for law enforcement, but will it respect Americans’ privacy?”

Before the FAA issues broad permits the agency must also resolve technical issues like if a drone were to lose its communications link and plummet from the sky into someone’s roof.

In the meantime a variety of industries are eagerly contemplating the prospects of deploying drones to address their needs.

For instance, farmers in Japan have been using small drones to spray their crops with pesticides and nuclear safety inspectors have used them to examine the damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi atomic energy plant.

Law enforcement officials in Brazil have used drones to search the Amazon rain forest for drug traffickers, while researchers in Costa Rica have sent UAVs into clouds of volcanic ash to help predict future eruptions.

In addition Russian archaeologists have deployed drones with infrared cameras to create 3D models of ancient burial mounds.

Real estate agents are also looking to harness the power of UAVS by using them to showcase large properties, while humanitarian aid organizations want them to deliver supplies to isolated regions.

“It’s going to happen,” said Dan Elwell, the vice president of civil aviation at the Aerospace Industries Association. “Now it’s about figuring out how to safely assimilate the technology into national airspace.”