How I Accidentally Kickstarted the Domestic Drone Boom
Who is this person?
At last year’s Paris Air Show, some of the hottest aircraft were the autonomous unmanned helicopters—a few of them small enough to carry in one hand—that would allow military buyers to put a camera in the sky anywhere, anytime. Manufactured by major defense contractors, and ranging in design from a single-bladed camcopter to four-bladed multicopters, these drones were being sold as the future of warfare at prices in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In May, at a different trade show, similar aircraft were once again the most buzzed-about items on display. But this wasn’t another exhibition of military hardware; instead, it was the Hobby Expo China in Beijing, where Chinese manufacturers demo their newest and coolest toys. Companies like Shenzhen-based DJI Innovations are selling drones with the same capability as the military ones, sometimes for less than $1,000. These Chinese firms, in turn, are competing with even cheaper drones created by amateurs around the world, who share their designs for free in communities online. It’s safe to say that drones are the first technology in history where the toy industry and hobbyists are beating the military-industrial complex at its own game.
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Comment by Patrick Egan on June 22, 2012 at 9:26am
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Where is the WIred Science segment video? It has the whole gang in the early days... Good times!
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Here it is... enjoy
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Developer Comment by R_Lefebvre on June 22, 2012 at 9:44am -
That's a really well done article. I like that he dealt with the "what is a drone/UAV" question without getting bogged down in unnecessary details. It is what it is.
I was curious about the part where "we already have laws that deal with the privacy concerns" part, however. I'm not aware of what those laws are. At least as regards to personal use. We know that police can't use drones to spy on people in their backyards without a warrant, but what is stopping regular people/paparazzi?
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There was this case not too long ago involving Barbara Streisand
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Moderator Comment by Sgt Ric on June 22, 2012 at 10:18am -
Whoa, R Lefebvre... perhaps police can't photograph you in your yard without a warrant, but anyone else can.
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Moderator Comment by Sgt Ric on June 22, 2012 at 10:29am -
Unless you are trespassing, if you are on public property or your own, you can record and photograph anyone else.
And since no homeowner owns the airspace above their property, flyover pics are legal.
Sound recording however is a different can of worms with differing opinions and precedent.
Police seizures of cameras and cell phones are abuse of power and not backed by law, and have been ruled unconstitutional.
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Moderator Comment by Sgt Ric on June 22, 2012 at 10:42am -
I may be a Canadian, but I know alot about american law...I watch Boston Legal!
GO Shatner!
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Developer Comment by R_Lefebvre on June 22, 2012 at 11:21am -
@Sgt Ric, that's exactly what I was getting at. I wouldn't say there are are no privacy concerns. There are! AFAIK, nothing stopping a private citizen from flying a quad up to your bedroom window and shooting vid inside your house!
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Comment by Jack Crossfire on June 22, 2012 at 1:59pm -
Can't believe it took 5 years for Wired to finally publish Chris's personal story. Unfortunately, all the bookstores here closed years ago, so the only readers are the 5 of us.
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