One wonders what Eric Schmidt’s opinion is of the Google staff that we know using the technology. Perhaps the technology is just dandy in their hands? The issue of regulation does need to be addressed in the USA. As ever though the shuffling of chairs and meetings to organize meetings seem to top of the agenda for the FAA.
The BBC reports:- The influential head of Google, Eric Schmidt, has called for civilian drone technology to be regulated, warning about privacy and security concerns. Cheap miniature versions of the unmanned aircraft used by militaries could fall into the wrong hands, he told the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
Quarrelling neighbours, he suggested, might end up buzzing each other with private surveillance drones. He also warned of the risk of terrorists using the new technology. Mr Schmidt is believed to have close relations with US President Barack Obama, whom he advises on matters of science and technology.
“You’re having a dispute with your neighbour,” he told The Guardian in an interview printed on Saturday.
“How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a commercial observation drone that they can launch from their backyard. It just flies over your house all day. How would you feel about it?”
http://www.suasnews.com/2013/04/22242/google-chief-urges-action-to-regulate-mini-drones/
Comments
I read this on the BBC News link and laughed SO hard. I know for a fact that Google used a california based UAV company in Mexico to gather high resolution / low altitude photography for Google Earth. So now that they use / have been using them, they do not want anyone else to elbow into being able to build better "aera specific" maps for Ag. / habitat / wildlife research (or just basic lands / property observations for private land owners).
this stinks as much as Boeing / Lockheed / Martin slowing the FAA regulation publication until they swallow all the smaller UAV companies until they have either bought them up, of just absorbed them into their own UAV program.
Cheers, Byron
I think this means that Google is working on a GoogleCopter.
Mine did not buy any of those but has water pump that pumps water from underground sump to his roof top water tank. It is loudest one in the city that pumps water @ 1L/hour , you might think he is digging for water :(
I personally think he's right, that there should be at least some additional regulation. And I get the feeling that is not an unpopular feeling even among the DIY drone and RC communities.
Google did experiment with drones several years ago for collection of aerial imagery. I know they researched building platforms and software, but I don't know if the experiments went as far as flight testing.
“How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a loud stereo, and played music at high volume you can hear in your house all day. How would you feel about it?”
“How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a loud dirtbike, and ripped up and down his side yard right next to your house all day. How would you feel about it?”
“How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a lawnmower, and mowed his lawn all day while you are having a barbeque with guests. How would you feel about it?”
There Eric, I fixed it for you.
its joke i guess when coming out from Google , after all their search engine works on intrusion
Got it
:-)
Referring to “ You're having a dispute with your neighbour...”
Not the newspaper article.
Muhammad,
Are you referring to the story I just posted?
It is funny some time ago there were rumors about Google testing drones. Yet, Polish branch avoided all discussions about supplying them for free with maps of special landmarks in Poland (maps would be 1x1 to 2x2km) made by FOTOMAPY. Their HQ in US never reponded to this, either. They have realised it would make them a lot of internal processing labor compared to what they do now, pointing out quality of our maps much better than in most major cities incuding Berlin form their maps. Next question form their clients would be why we are not doing city centres with UAVs and in 3D...
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