Cons of unmanned aerial vehicles

We currently live in an era, in which the rhythm of technological developments is growing exponentially every day. It is true to state that the technologies surrounding us have long contributed to optimizing our daily lives, however it is equally true that the constant use of those tools conceals a series of unprecedented risks to us. For example, the drone technology hides a numerous of safety risks. The word drone it is used to define a special category of flying objects, capable of hovering in the skies without the need for a pilot on board, which remains on the ground armed with a remote control. This relatively recent technology is growing and spreading at an incredible past in the amateur field as well as in the military and professional environments. Although drones brought great benefits to our daily lives they are among the new technologies that gain greater prominence on the issue of risks related to privacy and personal data protection.

Until not too long ago, the risks of privacy invasion came primarily from the ground: from the telescope of the curious neighbor, from video surveillance cameras, from the street photographer, from the filming of smartphones, etc. Today thanks to the development of the drone technology the threats to our personal privacy assumed a new form and it comes from over our heads. Privacy advocates are accusing this new technology to make the risk of privacy invasion grow exponentially (Lawson, 2017). They are supporting this argument by stating how drones are affordable, easy to purchase, relatively easy to fly, which makes them within the reach of everyone (Lawson, 2017). Alongside with being relatively within easy reach they can be equipped with cameras, license plates scanners, thermal scanners and facial-recognition system. They can fly close to people and properties without being noticed, almost anywhere and they also have the capability of capturing images, videos and audios as well as streaming them on a small personal device such as a smartphone. Within the past few years there already have been numerous cases where people complained about the violation of their personal privacy due to the presence of drones. Along with those cases it was not uncommon to see a person taking a drastic decision of shooting down the flying object. For example, in Kentucky a man shootdown an unmanned aircraft after it had trespassed its property, hovering over his daughter which was sunbathing in the yard. The man was arrested and charged with “felony wanton endangerment and criminal mischief” (Seibler, 2016). A person that shoots down a drone can face both criminal and civil penalties, but it varies from state to state. I personally do not think that the act of taking down a drone should have such serious repercussions, especially if it is flying over private properties. Along with the privacy invasion problem correlated to the video cameras installed on them, there is also the possibility that the drones are used to carry dangerous substances or weapons, and no one would like that to overfly their properties. To try to minimize this problem as much as possible there are companies that are actively working in creating technologies that have the capabilities to shoot down drones without destroying them. For example, landowners one day will have the possibility to declare a no-fly-zone on their properties where the UAS signals will be disrupted or jammed (Seibler, 2016).

From a safety prospective, the possible risks that may arise from unmanned aerial vehicles are the collisions that can take place and the possibility of losing the flight controls. A flight collision could occur if the drone pilot cannot see and therefore avoid other aircrafts in a reasonable time, especially those that usually fly at lower altitudes. We should remember that aircrafts that are taking off or are landing, fly at those low altitudes and drones constitute a potential hazardous to them, especially if the remote pilot it is not complying with the FARs. The first confirmed collision between a drone and an airliner occurred on April 17^th, 2016 in London (Lee, 2016). A civilian drone collided with a British Airways plane during its final approach to London Heathrow Airport (Lee, 2016). Even if the incident ended without significant damage, the episode highlighted that aircrafts engines and windshield are designed to withstand impacts occurring with birds but impacts with unmanned aircrafts were never really taken into consideration until recently. During a drone strike, an eight-pound quadcopter was launched against a rotor simulating the turbine of a Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 while having the descent or takeoff speeds (Hambling, 2018). These phases are considered the most probable ones where the collision could occur. The study aimed to determine the propagation of debris after the impact of drone with the turbine of an airliner. In less than a fraction of a second, the mockup of the drone was sucked and disintegrated causing a catastrophic failure to the engine (Hambling, 2018). Commercial jet engines are certified for impact against birds, rain, hail and ice up to certain limits. All airliners must be able to fly with a single engine, but the turbines are certified for the ingestion of soft debris and not for the materials used for the constructions of drones. The drones are usually made of composite material, while the core is made of denser metal alloys. In addition to aluminum, titanium, magnesium, carbon fiber plates, electrical cards, LiPo lithium polymer batteries (which tend to explode when damaged), we need to consider the added components that can be implemented on drones such as cameras (Hambling, 2018). The drones, therefore, are made of materials much denser and more rigid than the soft tissues and the muscles of the animals in flight.

Loss of control, on the other hand, can occur if there is a failure in the controlling system or if the drone flies beyond the range of the signal. Even a small device that crashes on someone from 600 fts of altitude can cause major problems.

The scenarios introduced raise serious considerations in terms of privacy and security, it is therefore necessary to regulate the use of these aircraft as soon as possible. Soon many private companies will use drones for various purposes, at that point on our heads the number of vehicles will be really troubling, who, and how, can watch over our safety and defend our privacy?

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References:

Hambling, D. (2018, February 15). What Really Happens When a Drone Strikes an Airplane. Retrieved from https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/drones/a24467/drone-plane-collision/

Lawson, S. (2017, March 26). Drones and Privacy in the United States in 2017. Retrieved from http://www.droneguru.net/drones-and-privacy-in-the-united-states-in-2016/

Lee, S. (2016, June 06). In what may be first recorded case, drone hits passenger plane in London airport. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/drone-hits-passenger-plane-possibly-first-recorded-case-london-airport-449162

Seibler, J. (2016, April 13). Is It Legal to Shoot Down a Drone Hovering Over Your Property? Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/it-legal-shoot-down-drone-hovering-over-your-property-362878