The second is that you can turn practically anything into a drone with the availability of parts and the sharing of ideas. You can literally make a brick “fly” like a robot. In addition to the aerial kind, I’ve seen drone boats, cars, kites, jellyfish…even a robot fish that helps direct schools of fish, all bringing their own use-case scenarios that run the spectrum from brilliant to nefarious applications.
To make any of the drone hype a reality, you have to match a great design with all of the Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) limitations. Most often these requirements provide enough challenges to slow the rapid expansion and application of drone technologies without the need for all-encompassing policy or regulation. The realization of these requirements tip us over the crest of the Hype Cycle Expectation Peak and downward into the Trough of Disillusionment as businesses manage expectations and match market demands with reliable components and the right amount of progress.
The reality is that people will always hype what drones can do, what we want them to do, how they will impact our lives and most of these will never take to the air because the laws of physics AND the law of Supply and Demand get the final vote. I am one of these people who dreams of UASs that can find lost hikers, that can carry a WiFi signal or a vaccine and I’ve had the ground come up and smite my systems enough times that I now carefully weigh the benefits before I hit the throttle.
This is where FAA policies, rules, and governing regulations need to be applied; after the flood of ideas and big dreams have been grounded in reality. Setting policies to encapsulate all the bad ideas currently out for discussion will ultimately crush industry and innovation of the good ideas. Afterall, television is still a great idea despite 13 seasons of Big Brother.
I know we WANT the FAA to get its policies in order and allow the commercial development to proceed as rapidly as we come up with a great new use-case, but we need to let the technology follow its course a little longer to where we can see the productivity-potential (as we stand there picking up the pieces of our systems that couldn’t live up to our grand ideas) and focus policies where they allow the right kinds of innovation and encompass the safety/rights of the general public.
Comments
Considering the ramifications FFA actions can have on our R/C and UAV hobby in general, I think it is only natural that it get's a lot of attention.
And don't think that just because you and me aren't located in the US, that it will not affect us. Just look at what happened with international airport and shipping port security regulations after 911.
My experience has been the polar opposite... and, hoping to capitalise on the fact that I am a total tragic when it comes to this stuff, I am doggedly toiling to develop a role for myself in this rapidly evolving market in an optimistic effort to restore my former sense of job satisfaction. I am not looking for a role as an operator though.
Lucky for me this is just one of my hobbies/passions! I say GO DO IT...and then replace this hobby with another.
What Gary says is very true. I live in Norway and I have had multiple opportunities to work professionally with UAV inspection relates task in the oil industry if I wanted. But so far I have declined since I know from previous experience that turning your hobbies into a job, takes the fun out if it.
The rest of the world is on a different point of the Gartner hype its moved through to actually working. Take this job advert for a company looking for multirotor pilots to do North Sea oil rig inspections. This sort of thing is beginning to happen every day now. The tools to get work done are also maturing, Pix4D just released the latest version of their photogrammetry software and its jolly impressive. Flying the platforms is super simple now. The revolution is over, its time to start working. The FAA have said its not likely to roll out widespread commercial use until 2021.