surveillance drones over LA skies

[Ensignnolo]

Link to an interesting NPR podcast about surveillance drones being used in LA


http://www.boingboing.net/2006/04/06/npr_xeni_tech_survei.html

[Steve McBride]

Interesting that the camera looks pretty much unprotected hanging on the bottom like that. Looks like the wing is something akin to carbon and rip-stop nylon. Tough but none too efficient.

Thanks for the link!

Steve

[shedao]

Link to an interesting NPR podcast about surveillance drones being used in LA


http://www.boingboing.net/2006/04/06/npr_xeni_tech_survei.html


It's clear to me that people are scared of flying anything, but flying "robots" (use that term losely in this case since its basically remote controlled) seem to really make them think the worst.

From the article:
As law enforcement agencies throughout the US consider more widespread use (firefighting, pipeline monitoring, border patrol ops), concerns over civilian privacy and air security are likely to increase. Imagine fleets of UAVs in your neighborhood, tracking where you go and what you do, perhaps sharing that data with other government agencies -- not a happy thought

But they already have helicopters so couldn't they already do that? Also, they have a whole police force, if they wanted to watch you they would. Why assume the worst?


They talked about search and rescue with uavs and this is one area I think they can really shine. If a UAV can loiter over an area for hours looking for you, well thats a good thing.

[Steve McBride]

Yeah - if they want to follow me around with a tiny airplane and track my life, they are in for one boring experience. I'd like to think I'm so important as to need my own personal spy, but I know better :)

[kd7ost]

Concider the source. NPR. That should say it all. ;)

Dan