Aloft Before Drones by Marilynne & Ray

Imagine what it would be like to be walking in center city and suddenly have your space invaded by a swarm of buzzing machines flying within feet of your head. How do you think you would react? Would you be fearful?… swat at them?… want to shoot them down?… or simply stare in awe? A few weeks ago, Superflux, a London design company, planned to introduce the Drone Aviary, ten flying robots, at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Their goal……to emotionally engage the public by getting them to interact with drone technology. Their hope ..… that people will start paying attention to rapid developments in drone engineering presently in use in commercial and military installations. Their desire… to take the flying machines on a world wide tour.

Unfortunately, at the last minute the Drone Aviary had its’ venue cancelled due to safety concerns. This temporary halt in exhibiting, however, does not alter the fact that drones are currently a part of every day life. Over the next few years according to an article published by the American Alliance of Museums, U.S. airspace is expected to have 30,000 civilian and commercial drones flying overhead and the UK and Europe are not far behind.

Celebrities such as Martha Stuart and Jeff Bezos are seeing drones as welcome advances to their retail operations, delivering packages efficiently, thus bypassing mail systems. As drones roam the sky collecting data or delivering items for companies like Amazon, with their proposed Prime Air delivery service, and Google with Project Wing, you and I are going to be faced with an army of flying robots invading our personal space. When I imagine packages flying up and down my quiet neighborhood street, it is not an appealing thought. I would love to know your opinion.

I realize that some of this technology may be good. Robobird drones from Clear Flight Solutions are employed to chase birds away from airport danger. I was fascinated at a trade show when I watched these radio controlled birds of prey fly so realistically through the air. Flapping their wings they move like a Peregrine Falcon and are able to chase undesirable flocks away from airplane engines. Robobird is also used to disperse nuisance flocks from areas such as landfills and from vineyards when grapes are heavy on the vine and birds come to feast.

This robotic revolution is happening now and is not some future science fiction occurrence. Drone kits can be purchased for under $100 in local electronic shops was well as from on-line retailers, putting them within reach of ordinary people. A series of Parrot Mini Drones, are a new line of flying toys. Jumping Sumo can pop up to table height or back to the floor, moving light objects out of its way with ease. Rolling Spider is an ultra-compact flyer that can take to the air or return to earth to travel on its large wheels and Bebop, a flying drone, follows large complex designs drawn on land.

The smallest commercial RC drone, a Nano quad Copter only 45 mm square, rivals the army’s Spy Cam Drone resembling a tiny flying insect. Weighing only 15 grams, Spy Cam costs tens of thousands of dollars and is used much like binoculars to scope out potential threats in military situations. The air force has introduced Bugbot Nano Drone Technology, and to my unsophisticated eye, it seems even more dangerous. Looking like a flying bug with wings, it can provide biological and chemical information to its handler and is being promoted by the military as a future lethal war fighter.

Controversy and fear surrounding military and spy drones is just starting to become intense among civilians who in the past have not given much consideration to this technological phenomenon. Few people think about the computer gaming kids who as young adults are hired to manipulate tiny devices from distant locations. These youth control weapons that go undetected yet cause incredible damage to innocent people near their military targets. According to ABC news on September 29th, though not in harms way, drone operators are subject to sone of the same emotional strain that ground forces face.

I was pleased to learn that museums are taking a leadership position by bringing the drone controversy before the public. I happen to be very curious about this robotic technology and wonder how it will affect my family’s future. In the meantime, while we wait for the exhibit, if you want to see beer being delivered by a drone go to YouTube and type in Lakemaid Beer Drone Delivery. The Air Force Bugbot Nano Drone, also on YouTube, gives an idea of how these aerial devices work for the military.

 Robodrone – photo by Clear Flight Solutions.

A 2013 FAA report from the National Wildlife Strike. Database says the number of bird strikes by planes has gone from 1,851 incidents in 1990 to 11,315 in 2013. Globally more than 255 people have died and 243 aircraft destroyed . 66% percent occur during daylight hours.

For more information about the drones mentioned go to:
http://www.parrot.com . Parrot Mini Drones

http://www.clearflightsolutions.com – About Robo Drones
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http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/aam/AAM092514.php – American Alliance of Museums – About Superflux

http://www.rferl.org/content/drones_who_makes_them_and_who_has_them/24469168.html- about Military drones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z78mgfKprdg : Bugbot military drone

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=lakemaid+beer+drone : Lakemaid Beer Drone

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Amazon-Prime-Air-drone : Amazon’s Drone