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What on Earth are they ‘droning’ on about?
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amazing uses for drones Spying The Wright Group, a U.S.-based group of private investigators, began using drones for aerial surveillance of the objectives of their clients in locations that are hard to access on foot.
According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the global consumer market for drones will reach $130 million in profits in 2015.
Unmanned aerial vehicles. Metro investigates the current status of drones, their different uses, the regulations they face and their future. Drones are everywhere: they can be seen above the metropolises of the world, in the fields of agriculture, in meetings where they are used to take photographs known as #dronies, and even in disaster zones saving lives, but these unmanned aircraft are also being used for dark purposes such as terrorism and drug trafficking. The growth of drones has been exponential since in 2013 Amazon announced an innovative delivery system based on this technology. Since then, these devices (which have been in use in some form since WWII) have become popular thanks to its technical capabilities and because they are becoming more accessible to the public. “Drones, or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), have been around for many years now, but they’ve only recently become less expensive and more portable,” Patrick Meier, founder of UAViators, a network of drone operators, told Metro. The future of these devices also looks promising, according to the forecasts of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). In the U.S. alone, the economic impact of the integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the National Air-
space System will total more than $13.6 billion in the first three years of integration, and will grow sustainably for the foreseeable future, cumulating to more than $82.1 billion between 2015 and 2025. Besides the economic potential of drones, various social organizations have begun to use them for humanitarian purposes. The people based near the Tana River Delta in Kenya, live in constant threat from violent ethnic attacks, assaults have killed hundreds and displaced thousands; however, a few months ago the people of that region introduced drones as allies that ‘spy’ for potential attackers. “The drone comes into play as a tool to verify information that, for example, a village had been attacked. It can also serve to give advance notice to our staff working in at-risk communities that an attack is imminent,” Drew Boyd, director of operations at The Sentinel Project, a humanitarian drone initiative based in Kenya, told Metro. The presence of drones in entertainment is also on the rise; these aircrafts are being used by filmmakers to record aerial scenes in their films or for magazines to cover news from a new perspective. Ordinary consumers have also been bitten by the drone bug, for recording of personal videos and panoramic self-portrait photos known as ‘dronies’. “They are an interesting way to indulge in a selfie and combine it with beautiful aerial views,” explains Alexandra Dao, community developer at videosharing website Vimeo, who coined the term #dronie. However, unmanned aircraft have other ‘intelligent’
uses. Authorities in the U.S., Europe and Egypt have prevented at least six potential terrorist attacks with drones since 2011, while in January 2015, a smuggler’s drone flying from Tijuana, Mexico was involved in a failed narcotics delivery. It has been reported that the Islamic State has made use of drones to plan its attacks in Syria. Fear over the use of unmanned aircraft for terrorist purposes has led authorities in countries like the United States to impose restrictive regulations, rules that have not been well received by users. “They are overstepping their boundaries, trying to scare hobbyists into compliance,” says Jayson Hanes, an U.S.-based aerial photography hobbyist who have received warning by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) for supposedly violating the
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rules on drones in uploading videos made by them to YouTube. Latest figures released by the AUVSI and forecasts by technology experts reveal that the rise of drones will continue in the coming years and will be extended to a larger number of civilian activities, generating a positive impact on the economies and societies of various countries; however, the threats related with these devices are real and have been verified by the authorities. Faced with this dilemma, experts recommend having a proper education on the use of drones and “having appropriate, transparent and effective regulations,” concludes Meier.
DANIEL CASILLAS
Aid in natural disasters
Package deliveries
UAViators is a network linking professional pilots, drone hobbyists, lawyers and investigators to coordinate humanitarian drones efforts worldwide. Over 200 pilots from more than 60 countries have joined UAViators to support people who have been affected by natural disasters.
Companies like Amazon, DHL and Google are working on programs for postal delivery using drones, while S.F. Express in China has revealed it already has aircraft flying 500 parcels a day.
Biological investigations Last year, the Vancouver Aquarium began using drones to study killer whales (orcas) from above for the first time. Using a hexacopter flying 30 meters above the surface of the water, researchers have been able to capture valuable information about the health and behavior of the whales.
MWN
Q&A
“Drones can save lives” PATRICK MEIER
Founder of UAViators, a global humanitarian network of drone pilots
How did the idea of using drones to help people emerge? Working at the intersection of humanitarian action and new technologies, I took interest in the use of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] back in 2010 following the Haiti earthquake. But it wasn’t until two years ago
after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines that I realized the time had come to launch a global community of practice on humanitarian UAVs. I had been seconded to the UN in the Philippines shortly after the typhoon and was struck by the number of UAVs being used in the relief efforts – truly unprecedented. But most of the teams operating these UAVs were not talking to each other; nor did most have direct links with humanitarian organizations and local government. I was also concerned that no ‘code of conduct’ existed for the use of UAVs in humanitarian settings. So I launched the international humanitarian UAV network
to fill these gaps and many others. How can drones assist people in desperate need? Drones can provide humanitarian organizations and disaster-affected communities with a bird’s eye view of the damage caused. This unique perspective enables responders to more efficiently assess damage and resulting needs. Dozens of drones can also be used to transport small payloads like first aid kits and medication to stranded communities; think of this as aerial conveyor belts. Drones can also provide 3G/4G coverage as well as WiFi to areas where cell phone towers have been damaged.
How does the UAViators project work? One of the main services offered by UAViators is the matching of UAV pilots with humanitarian organizations across the globe before, during and after major disasters. This service was most recently offered following Cyclone Pam in the Pacific. How many drone pilots have joined the project? Over 200 pilots have joined; and thanks to our official partnership with [drone pilot directory] Air-Vid, we have access to an additional 700+ professional pilots in 60+ countries around the world. INTERVIEW BY DANIEL CASILLAS / METRO WORLD NEWS