Discussions

So on May 1st the G8 summit will be held in Chicago. I was wondering what the laws there are on civilian UAVs, and their use in an urban environment in relation to citizen journalism. I've been working with the Occupy Los Angeles Media Team since it first started on October 1st. Since then we've been exploring different methods of documenting Occupy Actions and Events. In three months Chicago will become the focus point of the world. After the heavy handed nature of the various PDs in Pittsburgh and Toronto, Chicago is a cauldron ready to boil over.

Moments will arise where streets will be closed by row upon row of militarized police. Often with people trapped behind their lines with no way out. This is where the ArduCopter would come in. How flexible is the handling? Would I be able to give it GPS commands from my computer on the spot a few blocks down the road? What's the range? What is the carrying capacity - i.e. what type of camera can I mount and would I be able to stream the video from the camera online?

I understand that the blades break easily. Since it could very well come under fire from the police: how durable is it? Could the frame withstand a hit from a rubber bullet?

Thanks