8 news & features
The Drone Zone ARTICLE AND GRAPHICS by Alix Hamon In many cases, people only think of drones as machines used by the government for distant attacks. Although that is one of their purposes, there are many more. Drones are a big asset to farmers and ranchers. For a fraction of the cost and time that it usually takes farmers, drones can look for signs of unhealthy livestock, examine crops, and apply chemicals like fertilizer or herbicide. In addition, they can be used for surveillance, search-and-rescue missions, or security sweeps at large, crowded events. Drones have also found an important spot in scientific research. In 2013, NASA began a program for investigating tropical storms. The NASA researchers decided to use Global Hawk drones, which have a wingspan as wide as a 737 airplane and can fly for 28 straight hours at a maximum of 60,000 feet. Most piloted planes can’t fly that high. These Global Hawks provided a constant stream of data of atmospheric conditions and storm activity. This information is invaluable to new discoveries in science. With drones on their side, researchers are now getting a better view and understanding of how storms work.
Researchers and scientists often need to track animals to understand their behaviors better. Without drones, scientists are stuck trekking all over with expensive gear in order to do studies. Drones can easily observe habitat and animals from afar, and usually cause less disturbance than humans. With their help, scientists can bypass dangerous trekking trips altogether. Drones are also valuable to organizations that combat poachers. Google is funding a program that buys drones for the World Wildlife Fund, which flies camera-equipped drones above areas where illegal hunting threatens endangered animals. Some of the biggest users of drones are photographers and filmmakers. Many photographers buy some of the more affordable drone models and modify them to their liking. These drones can be used for all sorts of still image and video projects. On the flip side, drones offer the potential for criminals to drop drugs across border fences at a much lower risk. Drones are hard for authorities to spot, and if the drone is captured, the criminals will likely be miles from the scene. In addition, drones can be used to carry weapons into public places.
The U.S. government has greatly expanded its use of drones. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has flown hundreds of drones on behalf of state and local public safety agencies. Drone manufacturers are now considering offering police the option of arming these drones with nonlethal weapons such as rubber bullets, tasers, and tear gas.
Taking a closer look at homemade drones
Q&A with photographer Steve Elkins ARTICLE AND PHOTO by Alix Hamon
What are the main benefits of using a drone?
You get a different perspective of seeing things. If you were a ranch owner and wanted to go and survey land, you could use a drone so you don’t have to get on a four-wheeler and go do it. Or if you’re a farmer, you might just scan your crops and make sure they are all in good shape. A lot of realtors are using them now to once again get a different perspective. You’re trying to sell a house and everything that you see normally is from camera to ground level, so with a UVA (unmanned aerial vehicle) you can get the camera up higher and see more of the property and see how it fits in with surrounding houses.
How expensive are drones?
They can be quite expensive. This UVA (pictured below) is sort of a low-mid range. The ones that people buy for personal use and fun, and most of the ones that realtors are buying are around $600-$3500, depending on how fancy they get with it. You can get a decent one that will hold a camera for $600.
How does the drone work?
It has a computer inside and each of the propellers spins a different direction. What it does is create torque balance across the whole thing so when you’re up there and you want to turn it, it just slows down the A-motors and then the torque will spin it. It also has a security mechanism for balance. The computer senses when it’s a little bit out of balance and it corrects it, so if it starts to lean one way, it speeds these two motors up so it’s working all the time, trying to keep it level. It’s fully GPS controlled so I can lift it off the ground and let go of the controls and it just stays there and hovers.
How high can you go with it?
Much higher than is legal. People have taken them up thousands of feet, but 400 feet is the legal maximum, because then you’re in the range of potential other aircraft.
What exactly is this drone going to do?
This one is called a hexacopter because it has six booms (six motors) and it is going to be used internationally for some real estate purposes so we’ll be taking still photos of a resort from the air in addition to photos on the ground.
How challenging is it to build a drone?
Mechanically, it’s not very challenging, but getting all the electronics to work correctly is. Sometimes they don’t work like they should and then it depends on what you’re doing. It just depends on how complicated it is; they can take some time. If you do a real straightforward, right out of the box assembly, it’s not terribly hard to follow directions.
The ACLU has recommended that safeguards should be set with usage limits, data retention, policy, abuse prevention and accountability, and weapons.
Amazon is planning to use a new drone delivery system. Amazon says that it will safely get packages into customers’ hands in 30 minutes or fewer, using small unmanned aerial vehicles. It will take some time for Amazon to put this plan into action. the advocate • february 2015