Good news on the regulatory front--and a lot of questions
Dave Perry from UNAV writes in with some news:"UNAV has been working with the US Commerce Dept. for the past six months to re-classify our PICOPILOT-RTL (Return To Launch) product.
We claimed that since the -RTL could not be programmed with user waypoints, it should be classified separately.
Friday, we finally received the classification; 7A994. This classification requires the -RTL to have an export license only for AT ( terrorism sponsoring ) countries.
This ruling is significant because it means the US government recognizes the difference between "programmable" and "return to launch" autopilots.Now we can export the PICOPILOT-RTL to almost any country without an export license.
Of course, any autopilot that can be programmed with user waypoints remains classified as 9A012, requiring an export license to all countries except CANADA. I might point out that the regulations make no distinction between hobby and commercial autopilots, so the export of amateur (DIY) autopilots must comply with the US export regulations and have an export license. "
[Chris here: I think it's going to be interesting to see how the regulators consider open source hardware, autopilot kits and autopilot components. I note that the Autopilot/IMU "development board" that SparkFun sells, which is fully programmable and much more capable than the RTL, is not export controlled. Neither is the impressive pre-made Paparazzi autopilot. An oversight? Or are such "development boards" not considered autopilots?
And since each of these are just the combination of an IMU, a embedded processor and GPS, all of which aren't export controlled, what if you just buy the three bits and put them together yourself, downloading open source code from a site like ours to make it all work together? Obviously there's little the regulators can do about that, and the point of sites like DIY Drones is to make that very process of doing-it-yourself as simple as possible. In a world where many of the components of an autopilot, from accelerometers to GPS, can be found in any cell phone, is it really possible to regulate the sale of autopilots like weapons anymore?
No one's come after us for selling an autopilot PCB (nor should they). When we sell it with the components pre-soldered, like the SparkFun or Paparazzi boards, can we just call it a "development board" and similarly escape regulation? Does it matter if the software is pre-loaded or not? Does the fact that none of us--the creators of the Sparkfun, Paparazzi or ArduPilot autopilots--are companies (we're just amateurs, mostly working in the open source realm) make a difference? Even if it did, what about the companies that are actually making and selling the boards for us, such as SparkFun or BatchPCB? Are they responsible for knowing what these boards do and all the regulations concerned? Lots of question....]
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3D Robotics Comment by Jordi Muñoz on May 27, 2008 at 6:09pm -
The best GPS, the best IMU and the best "Open Source" autopilot are not from United Estates. IF any terrorist want to buy or build an autopilot, they can do it, easily..
The real question is: What is the biggest airplane you can buy on the streets (with no special license), and how many damage you can do with it?
Anyway if you buy and modify a real Cessna or private Jet outside the country and you mount an autopilot on it, it would be pulverized before it reach any US border.
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Comment by dincer hepguler on May 28, 2008 at 7:47am -
Chris, Good news but not the best.. You digged my wound... my UAV project came to an halt due to the fact that i cannot order a full function Picopilot-Nat (it is the best and cheapest, i cannot afford a more expensive autopilot) from my country. Turkey is not a terrorist country but they don't sell me an autopilot... :) my son lives in Maryland,USA. this means that he will buy one for me and bring when he comes to my country for vacation and i will wait until he comes... :) any terrorist who needs and autopilot can do the same isn't it?
Anyway i am a new member and you can find my UAV project here:
http://borsaci06.com/robotics.html
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Comment by wayne garris on May 28, 2008 at 10:41am -
are they stopping the sales of full size planes with APs in them?. i havent heard any talk about this . why is a 2lb airplane more worrysome then a cessna with an AP im sure we are still selling 747s to saudi arabia but we cant sell a $1000 rc auto pilot there? this makes no sense. i believe that the real motive is not "terrorism"
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Comment by James Ross on May 28, 2008 at 11:02am -
Not that I agree with the regulations, but most terrorists can't afford million dollar aircraft. And it's not like a terrorist could fly it unnoticed.
The "Switchblade", built by AeroVironment, is a good example of a very concealable UAV with an onboard explosive device about as powerful as four grenades.
Just sayin'.
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Comment by wayne garris on May 28, 2008 at 11:35am
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did anyone have to "afford" any airplanes last time? and im sorry but 4 grenades aint squat . my point is this ,"a person who gives up freedom for security ends up with neither"(Benjamin Franklin)
the problem was this :people
the sollution is this :people
no law will ever keep us safe
the one thing that will is freedom and the willingness to die for it
any way i didnt mean to stir the pot but just wanted to express my frustration with the perseption of uavs .
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Comment by James Ross on May 28, 2008 at 1:04pm
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I know what you mean, Wayne.
Here's a solution: DIY Auto-Targeting, Anti-UAV, Laser Cannon (diyautotargetingantiuavlasercanon.com)
I gotta work on that name.
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Comment by Cole on May 28, 2008 at 6:11pm -
I like the name, but you might want to shorten it a bit. Perhaps DIYATAULC.COM may suffice. :)
I agree with Wayne. Laws make you feel safe but people who believe in our Freedoms are the ones who will keep it safe
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Comment by Skyler Associates, LLC on May 28, 2008 at 8:43pm -
International Trade Arms Regulations are really just a bureaucratic method of regulating trade and making money off of it. Be careful Dincer, what you're talking about is illegal. I don't want your son to go to jail for illegal arms trafficking for something as mundane as a tiny autopilot!
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Comment by Jack Crossfire on May 30, 2008 at 12:40pm -
A photo soon to be outlawed.
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