Drones Large and Small Coming to US (Nope, It's Here Now)

[Old Moparz]

Interesting story I just read.  

http://www.livescience.com/27288-drone-diversity-creatures.html

If I ever saw one around my house & had the opportunity to toss a blanket over it, I'd put it out of commission by bringing my foot down on it.  

Of course after big brother shows up to get it I'd say, "Sorry, but the rotating blades posed a problem & I had to protect the finish on my car."

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Most of the drones that have begun to appear in the skies above the U.S. homeland don't resemble the Predators or Reapers flown by the U.S. military and CIA above Afghanistan and Pakistan. Instead, these smaller versions of flying, unmanned vehicles almost rival the animal kingdom in their diversity.

Government agencies such as NASA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection operate aircraft-size military drones that take off from runways like airplanes. Labs in the United States have even built tiny drones that look like hummingbirds. But most drones resemble the radio-controlled aircraft and toy helicopters flown by hobbyists for decades, capable of taking off horizontally, vertically or by being thrown into the air like a trained falcon or hawk.

"To say they're all the same is not accurate at all," said Kevin Lauscher, an industrial sales representative for Draganfly Innovations Inc.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration does not plan to permit drones armed with weapons in U.S. civilian airspace, according to an official quoted by the Washington Times. But state agencies, sheriff's offices and universities have already found more widespread use for drones that carry cameras for taking photos or video from above.

"If you look at the capabilities, there are small, quad helicopters and rotor helicopters that can be fitted with a camera and fit in the palm of your hand," Lauscher told TechNewsDaily. "They go all the way up in size to a Global Hawk," which is a relatively large military drone.

Draganfly Innovations builds small drones weighing less than 5 pounds that fly under the control of a human operator using two joysticks. The Canadian company has sold some drones to law enforcement for taking pictures or video of traffic accidents or crime scenes, as well as aiding SWAT teams preparing to storm a building or housing compound.

But law enforcement represents a relatively small part of Draganfly's business. Many more clients use drones to cheaply inspect the exterior of huge factories, manufacturing facilities or construction sites. Drones could even help check on tall structures such as wind turbines, Lauscher said.

FAA drone license applications tracked by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights organization, suggest many other possible uses. Some U.S. states have begun considering drones for checking on highway traffic conditions, inspecting bridges and fighting wildfires. U.S. corporations, such as FedEx, have already begun planning for the day when drones could deliver packages.

Unlike free-flying birds, practically every unmanned aerial vehicle known as a drone flies under some form of human remote control. But university labs have already shown how pre-programmed drones can carry out intricate flight patterns, and military-grade drones have emergency backup routines in case they lose the signal connection to their human operators.

Bird watchers accustomed to spotting a gaggle of geese or a murder of crows may someday spot similar groupings of drones. Such drone swarms will likely use advanced forms of today's artificial intelligence programs to coordinate their missions without precise human control, a future with possibilities both delightful and daunting.

"Can drone technology be abused? Absolutely," Lauscher said. "Can they be beneficial and save lives? Absolutely."

[Troy]

I saw a program about these on Discovery or one of those channels. Some companies do make small drones with weapons on them - but US law (currently) prohibits them so they are only sold to foreign governments (great!). Apparently many police departments have requested them though. One of the biggest hurdles will be controlling air traffic once everyone and their brother is using them. Not to mention, in the US, these are meant for urban environments - meaning lots of people and property that could get damaged if anything goes wrong.

Just think, if I'd have stuck with my R/C plane hobby when I was younger I might have been on the front lines of this industry. Technology is such that a "normal" person can fit a couple cameras, a GPS unit, and a stabilizing gyro that all reports back to the operator in a craft weighing mere ounces. Throw in some smart software and you can do all sorts of neat things. A while back someone was modifying Roomba vacuum cleaners to communicate amongst themselves to create their own wireless network and coordinate searches of buildings. I was very interested as it was similar to the direction we were moving at the company I worked for.

I was musing the other day that, when I first started looking to buy a house, the big thing was to wire it with Cat 5 ethernet cable so you could have your own internal home network. What a waste that would have been! Now everything is wireless, portable, and can be controlled by a cell phone. So, apply that to a place like London which has thousands of wired surveillance cameras. Some deal - a waste! These days you could install/uninstall temporary wireless cameras just about anywhere at any time and even dispatch a "mobile camera" to investigate anything interesting. Law enforcement's dream! My guess is that, as usual, someone will push the boundaries until slapped down by the courts and then there will be some consensus on how to use the technology.

Troy

[F8-4life]

Just the kind of news you like to wake up too! HAHAA

[mauve66]

just what we need, drones being used against us citizens

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/10/nation/la-na-drone-arrest-20111211

[Tilar]

If I ever saw one around my house & had the opportunity to toss a blanket over it, I'd put it out of commission by bringing my foot down on it.  

Of course after big brother shows up to get it I'd say, "Sorry, but the rotating blades posed a problem & I had to protect the finish on my car."

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Sorry about your drone guys, but I was shooting this wild turkey that was flying overhead, and your play toy got between me and dinner.  

[Mike DC]

  

[polywideblock]

looks like big brother will be watching everything you do,even in your own home/yard 

[4cruzin]

That would be one big mosquito!   I'd swat it also . . . . Sorry big brother.   

[b5blue]

  I have 4 R/C helicopters, they are a real hoot to fly! (One has a video camera.)  I can possibly find a link to a real "Mack-Daddy" unit that is sold for stuff like inspecting factory smoke stacks and such. 

[Tilar]

I've had a couple RC planes, still have one but it hasn't been in the air in 3 maybe 4 years. Always thought I wanted to try a helicopter but after trying it on a simulator, I figure I'll just let that thought pass. 

[bull]

Robocop meets Skynet.

[draftingmonkey]

Make sure to keep your bedroom curtains closed during "Happy Times". Never know who may be watching/filming.

[mopar_man]

Make sure to keep your bedroom curtains closed during "Happy Times". Never know who may be watching/filming.

Thats old technology , they have a weapon now that sits on the top of your finger . identical to a mosquito . has camera , wings and at three ft you can't tell the diff . its also armed with a poison  needle that injects into you on impact. All you need is a million of these (they have made billions) and they will take down any army .

[b5blue]

I've had a couple RC planes, still have one but it hasn't been in the air in 3 maybe 4 years. Always thought I wanted to try a helicopter but after trying it on a simulator, I figure I'll just let that thought pass. 

I'm by no means even fair at flying them, much less good. Much of what they tout in these news clips is pure chit, any wind/breeze/draft effects the thing greatly. (Usually in the worst way/direction it could.) The lighter the "all up weight" the more sensitive to the effect. I have one, a "Blade MSR" that weighs in at 28 grams and is fast as hell but correcting for even light breeze drift is a full time job! They mostly have just sat around while I work on my cars for the last year or so.     

[Troy]

Many of the entry level helicopters have gyros to stabilize them. I was flying/hovering one of mine within the first 5 minutes. If anything goes wrong you just let off on the controls. Those squarish looking ones with 4 rotors work like that as well. For the equipment these things carry, the "good" ones are going to be large. Will tiny ones work? yes, but mostly only indoors. My Blade CX gets pushed around when the A/C or heat kicks on. The military has had some hand launched planes with maybe a 3' wingspan for surveying the battlefield or urban environment. These aren't sophisticated and have a fairly short range but it's what some police departments were interested in at first.

Troy

[Old Moparz]

The drones are here.   

So what happens now when a jet sucks one of these through the engine? Who is responsible for the plane going down?


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http://gizmodo.com/5988643/plane-passenger-spots-mystery-drone-over-brooklyn?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_facebook&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Plane Passenger Spots Mystery Drone Over Brooklyn (Updated: The FBI Has No Idea What It Is)

The classic Twilight Zone episode takes a 21st century turn—yesterday a man aboard an Alitalia flight preparing to land at JFK spied something disturbing outside his window: what appeared to be an unmanned vehicle in the sky. The sighting was confirmed by the plane's pilot, who stated to air traffic controllers below, "We saw a drone, a drone aircraft."

The FAA says the plane landed without incident, but is investigating the claim. Why? It's bloody dangerous. Even a small UAV—we're not talking Predators, here—could cause a catastrophic collision with a plane ignorant of its position. Even birds are a hazard in the sky. And given the surprise of the pilot, we have to assume he was ignorant.

But there's a bigger question here: why was there a drone flying over Brooklyn to begin with? The NYPD has said on the record that it's "interested' in using drones to give it crime-seeking eyes in the sky, but no official program is in place. The legal framework for domestic drone operation isn't even solidified—though that hasn't stopped both government and private sector operators from flying them over the US.

It can't be stated enough: this will only become common up to the point that it's the norm.

Update 2: The FAA replied to us with the following statement:

The FAA is investigating a report from the pilot of an international airline that he saw a small, unmanned or remote-controlled aircraft while on final approach to Runway 31 Right at John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 1:15 p.m. today. The sighting was approximately four to five miles southeast of the airport at an altitude of approximately 1,500 feet. The pilot did not take evasive action. The flight landed safely.

Update 3: A statement from the FBI indicates the feds don't know what the drone was or who's using it, and are asking the public for help:

On Monday, March, 4, 2013, at approximately 1:15 p.m., the pilot of Alitalia Flight #608 spotted a small, unmanned aircraft while on approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport. The Alitalia flight was roughly three miles from runway 31R when the incident occurred at an altitude of approximately 1,750 feet. The unmanned aircraft came within 200 feet of the Alitalia plane.

The FBI is investigating the incident and looking to identify and locate the aircraft and its operator. The unnamed aircraft was described as black in color and no more than three feet wide with four propellers.

"The FBI is asking anyone with information about the unmanned aircraft or the operator to contact us," said Special Agent in Charge John Giacalone. "Our paramount concern is the safety of aircraft passengers and crew."

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 212-384-1000. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

This probably rules out something as pedestrian as the Parrot AR drone, which only has a remote range of a couple hundred feet or so.

[chargerboy69]

The drones are here.   

Yes they are, and may be used against us if the administration decides too.

This is a just released letter from Senator Rand Pauls office.  This letter was written by Eric Holder our Attorney General.


http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/05/revealed-holder-letter-leaves-open-possibility-of-drone-strikes-on-u-s-soil/


"The question you have posed is therefore entirely hypothetical, unlikely to occur, and one we hope no President will ever have to confront," the letter continues. "It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States."

Holder said that a president could be faced with such a situation ("to authorize the military to use such force") if the need to protect the nation arose during an attack similar to Pearl Harbor or September 11.

"Were such an emergency to arise, I would examine the particular facts and circumstances before advising the President on the scope of his authority," he concludes.

[Old Moparz]

It'll just be a precedent that every administration will use from now on. Each administration prior, has been erasing rights a little at a time but nobody seems to pay attention, notice or care. The Patriot Act is anything but Patriotic.

 

[Mike DC]

  

The Patriot Act is anything but Patriotic.

Well, it was either let Washington do whatever the hell it wanted for a couple years in the aftermath of 9/11, or else undermine the troops.  

At least that's what people said to any dissenters at the time.

 

[nh_mopar_fan]

Thank you, Rand Paul.