A new frontier in aviation

Even a decade ago, most people simply had no idea what a drone was. Now, there is hardly anyone who does not know. In just a few years, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly called drones, have literally gone a great distance.

Drones are a great help in combat situations, especially in localities where it may not be possible to send manned aircraft or ground troops. This was indeed the case in Sri Lanka, where UAVs played a major role in intelligence gathering. Drones are also used in targeted attacks against identified places and individuals.

Like almost all military technologies, drones too have found their way to civilian hands. While the military drones have such as Predator, civilian drones have benign names such as Watchkeeper. As the technology becomes cheaper, manufacturers can sell civilian versions for a fraction of the cost of military versions. In the US alone, the Federal Aviation Administration estimates that around 7,500 drones will be in operation by 2018. Other developed and even developing countries will not be far behind in the drone race.

This has given rise to a huge debate around the world, with proponents and opponents of civilian drones battling it out in the open. Nevertheless, civilian drones are here to stay. The only question is whether their use should be regulated and restricted at government level in the interest of safety and privacy.

Concerns

These are quite real and legitimate concerns. Even with a rudimentary model plane fitted with a camera, a nosey neighbour can peek into the goings-on in his neighbourhood. The possibilities for invading the privacy of individuals using more sophisticated drones are much higher. There is also the possibility that rival companies could spy on each other using commercial drones.

Chart showing the relationship between “drone/autopilot production volume and price.”

Another nightmare scenario is the possible use of drones by terrorist and insurgent groups. It is not beyond their means to fit some sort of destructive weapon to a drone either. This is an eventuality that all governments want to avoid.

Those are some of the cons. How about the pros? Drones will be very useful in times of natural disasters for fast data gathering and damage assessment especially if some of the affected areas cannot be reached easily. Drones can facilitate the work of rescue and relief teams in these circumstances.

They are also becoming useful for agriculture, spraying water and chemicals (some of which are hazardous)on to farmlands. Drones are also used to examine oil pipelines, oil rigs and other infrastructure for any structural flaws. Greenpeace recently purchased two advanced UAVs to monitor the Arctic, which is another example for the versatility of drones. They are also being used to shoot commercials and movies and track wildlife.

The low operating cost is another plus point. A drone can be in the air for as little as Rs.400 per hour, whereas a manned helicopter or plane costs many times more. At a time when most countries are cutting police budgets, this sounds like good news for law enforcement agencies.

Traffic

If the drone industry has its way, our skies could soon be buzzing with drones. This raises the question of regulating drone traffic in much the same way as air traffic. With so many of them flying about, there could be collisions and crashes. Some drones are robotic ones that can have a measure of independence and decision-making, but we cannot expect all drones to be intelligent in that sense of the word. There is usually a human on the ground who remotely commands the UAV. A mechanism should be evolved to make the skies friendlier and accident-free for all drones.

When the first mobile phones with cameras were unveiled, there was panic everywhere on the grounds that they could invade your privacy. Today, every mobile phone has an advanced camera and a video recorder. No one even talks about them anymore - they have become everyday devices we take for granted, privacy concerns notwithstanding. Over time, the same is likely to happen with drones.

Drones are the next frontier of innovation. If the industry is over regulated and stifled, we might miss out on bigger innovations in the sector - innovations that can make a difference to our lives. Governments, user groups and manufacturers should thus get together and create standards that define their uses without restricting the expansion of the drone industry.