More than 1 million people in the US are expected to find a drone under the tree this year. Australia and the UK are also looking at a bumper month for drone sales, thanks to falling prices and growing interest in the technology.
Excitement about drones has been mounting, thanks in part to plans by companies to use them for tourism (no thank you!), power line inspection and package delivery. Drone racing is also sparking interest. (why can’t we go back to greyhound racing?). But questions remain about how ordinary people can use their new toys.
Mishaps involving drones are now regular news, whether flying too close to aircraft, hitting people and property, or bothering neighbours by hovering over homes. This year, a man in Nottingham was the first in the UK to be prosecuted on drone-related charges.
But so far, the rules governing privately owned drones are uneven and often behind the times. Many users are also unaware of what’s allowed. The prospect of millions more air vehicles whizzing around has alarmed US government agencies , which were already planning a revamp of the rules.
The European Aviation Safety Agency has suggested there should be Europe-wide regulations on where and how high civilian drones can fly. And the US Federal Aviation Administration has floated the idea of a database identifying all pilots with a drone over 250 grams. The agency is also reportedly testing military-grade technology to hunt down drones flying near airports. ( Aviva Rutkin, New Scientist)
Tighter and clearer regulations, please! By the way, Amazon .com web purchases in the US already arrive within 24 hours. Except in unusual circumstances, why do we need them even more quickly? Answer: to eliminate delivery drivers, vehicles and jobs. No, thank you.
For those of us living in a city it is not enough to just deposit a parcel in front of the house We need delivery people to ring the bell. This is because otherwise parcels lie on the doorstep, maybe for hours, in full view of people passing by. Thefts are common. Drones are clever, but as far as I know they can neither ring doorbells, use a door knocker or deposit a parcel in an obscure spot out of sight of the street. I can foresee some problems here. But then big companies are adept at transferring problems from themselves onto their customers.
I’m always very sceptical of arguments that contend that technology destroys jobs. People have been claiming that for centuries, but its never come true.
As for drones, I agree that there need to be clear regulations. But we shouldn’t be afraid to embrace the future. Delivery trucks use diesel, which is a horrible pollutant because of the nitrogen dioxide it produces- which is far more harmful to your health than carbon dioxide. Drones would help improve the environment, reduce delivery times and rid our roads of a lot of traffic.
As for the possibility of theft, they could devise a way for drones to deposit their goods in a safe bix just outside your house. Then you would receive a text message from Amazon saying that the delivery had arrived. You would then go outside to the safe box, use a special key to unlock it and get your delivery.
Humans should never shy away from challenges, but find ways to overcome them. When we first had the industrial revolution, there were far greater challenges than there are now. Fortunately we devised ways of solving them, or else we would be living in the dark ages.
You make some good points, especially about diesel, but I think you should pause a moment and consider who is dictating so many of these changes, and why. The fact is that democracy is being undermined in so many ways, and it is being undermined by big business, which is dictating to politicians in its own interest. To say we should find ways of overcoming challenges is fine, but the first things young people should do is to vote, please, and vote for people who promise to restore some semblance of equity between rich and poor, corporations and ordinary people. I perceive the cards to be heavily stacked against the latter .
Thus, following your suggestion, Owen, I have to invest in a special lock-up box outside my house, expensive because it has to be electronically controlled, not for my convenience, but for the convenience of Amazon – small matter, but I fear we are getting too used to the idea that we are here for the corporations, rather than the proper way round. Then I have to be checking my (presently non- existent) i- phone constantly to see if the goods have arrived (My wife has a galaxy phone, but I don’t want one). I don’t want to be effectively bullied any more into having to do things for companies instead of them doing something for me – crudely put, but maybe reflecting to some extent the frustrations of many people.
By the way the drivers put out of work by drones are mostly around middle age. Many will not find other jobs, and it is these disaffected sort of people who are backing Trump. In industrial revolution days the factories were manned by country people, whose country lives were pretty dreadful ( see corn laws) and who at least found regular employment on the cotton mills etc. – whether they were better off long term is a matterfor debate. Alternatives today are not so clear for older, less educated people.
Robert, you wouldn’t have to do any of this if you didn’t want to. All of it would be optional, for people who like technology and having things delivered quickly and cleanly.
People should definitely vote. They shouldn’t be forced to, and they shouldn’t if they don’t know anything about politics. But more voters are generally welcome.
Corporations have too much political influence, but they are only successful in the market because people buy their products or like their services. I suspect drones will not appear overnight, but slowly be phased in, and only to those who will want them. Thus, not that many drivers will lose their jobs and (better paid) jobs be created to make and fly the drones.
I think you’ve got a very good point about disaffected people not liking the modern world. I’m very aware I’m young, middle class and educated, which makes me a bit better suited to it. But having said that, I won’t allow my generation to be kept behind because older people are uncomfortable with changes. When I’m older, I’ll have to deal with changes I won’t necessarily like, but it’ll be up to me to get used to them.