Is the future bright for civilian drones?

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the talk on this due to other commitments.



There are a number of issues, especially in the heightened atmosphere of potential terrorist threats, that would need to ensure such delivery drones, as proposed by Amazon and others, are not able to be hi-jacked in any way. Additionally, keeping autonomous drones out of specific air-spaces (like around major airports and airfields) would need to be implemented to ensure safety of the wider flying public.

This debate needs bringing before a much wider portion of the public and openly debated. Such debate should inform any moves the CAA might take in setting up licences for the operating autonomous drones.

Paul, you raise some very good points - as you say, it was a pity you weren't able to join us and raise those directly with the presenter. It does appear the CAA provide some regulations (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1995&pagetype=90), but also acknowledge themselves the guidelines are limited. I found another more general link, which is reasonably helpful http://www.unmannedtech.co.uk/regulations.html. Jonathan highlighted that in the UK line-of-sight (LOS) must be maintained between a UAV and the controller and also that the maximum LOS distance is limited, therefore even today it appears there would be regulatory restrictions on a full delivery service. Your idea of a debate sound very reasonable and maybe one that the IET ought to be involved with.

LOS requirements in the regulations will keep us OK at the moment and rules about allowable airspace for these UAV's should keep them in check while there is an operator on the controls (even if he is on the ground). More of a concern is the pressing ahead by some into the autonomous airial vehicles for which regulations will need to be addressed very soon. Of course, somee of these autonomous vehicles will be under the cloak of military control. I am not sure the CAA covers that aspect yet hence the call for a wider debate.



Yes, the IET should probably have some event to launch such a debate to the wider audience.

Given the speed at which technology has and will evolve, one can see that the pressure for more civilian use will expand as the price of vehicles and sensors fall. It is inevitable that the 'enthusiasts' use of drones will increase and that some will want to use the capability for commercial application. It is easy to see a use to take aerial photographs of buildings to support Estate Agents' pictures, they currently use cameras on poles for 'aerial' photographs. There is an interesting article in the March Edition of the Royal Photographic Magazine (Pages 88-91), by a CAA licensed operator. The article shows images taken with a multi-rotor helicopter carrying a GoPro 12MB camera taking images at preset intervals - without a data link, lots of pictures. The operator even managed to take photographs of a cross channel ferry, the latter involved launching and recovering the drone from the ferry!



By the way I was surprised that in the lecture there was no mention of the use of drones in the 2nd World War. Surely the V1 can be classed as a drone (or even a cruise missile), it was driven by a pulse jet engine and the course was set at launch and gyro controlled in flight.