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There's a danger to this though; if drone pilots are universally expected to be warned when they fly in dangerous areas, then pilots will start flying "to the e
by Splines 10y ago
There's a danger to this though; if drone pilots are universally expected to be warned when they fly in dangerous areas, then pilots will start flying "to the edge" and expect the technology to always keep them in line. I would be surprised if restricted areas were stable enough that drones could store a database of no-go areas and keep it up to date easily.
It would be more straightforward to set clear policy and provide a way for drone pilots to know where not to fly (e.g., provide an online map and require altitude telemetry to the controller at all times). Include a link to this information with every drone purchase.
My guess of what will happen if we go down the GPS route: Some incident with a drone will occur, and the pilot will say something like "the drone didn't warn me that I was in a restricted area".
- hirsin 10y agoThat's actually good precedent to bring up - has e.g. Google Maps or more infamously, Apple Maps, ever been held liable for bad directions? I believe it's still seen as the end user's responsibility to obey the laws, especially when the safeguards fail.
- Jtsummers 10y agoA friend recently (several months ago) was fined because he trusted Google Maps to be accurate and drove into an otherwise unmarked (by the route he took into it) wilderness protection area. He got the minimal fine because he demonstrated that he'd tried to obey the law (showed that Google Maps marked the areas, but marked them incorrectly), but he was still fined.
- ryanlol 10y agoDid he contest that fine in court? If not, why is this story relevant?
- Jtsummers 10y agoHe did. Because it's a demonstration of how the court system (at least in the US) generally works. Pleading ignorance of the law when violating it, even when you use tools that are supposed to prevent that violation, doesn't always work. Anyone using these systems should still be aware of what they're doing and where they're allowed to go and should consider them mitigators, at best, when they get caught in violation of air space.
- tamana 10y agoSurely even without maps the problem is the same: the route is unmarked.
- Jtsummers 10y agoThe maps exist and folks who go in those areas are expected to use them. Available cheaply (free?) anywhere you might get hunting supplies.
- pmarreck 10y agoSomeone got killed recently because Waze took them to a same-named street but in a bad neighborhood in Brazil
- lukeadams 10y agohttp://www.cnn.com/2015/10/05/americas/brazil-wrong-directions-death/ http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/05/americas/brazil-wrong-directio... seems to be the story you are referencing.
- emodendroket 10y agoWaze seems like insanely dangerous software in the first place. The whole idea of a "social" driving application that constantly pops up little alerts that the driver is supposed to respond to seems to be inviting distracted, dangerous driving.
- Karunamon 10y ago"Supposed to respond to?" Yes, by driving. The alerts take the form of "Traffic ahead". "Police ahead", etc. There is no interaction required, or even expected unless you really want to poke the thumbs up "yes, this alert is still valid" button. (And if you can't do that safely, given the size and consistent location of the button, you probably shouldn't have a license anyways)
- emodendroket 10y ago> unless you really want to poke the thumbs up "yes, this alert is still valid" button. Which is precisely what the app encourages people to do.
- Karunamon 10y agoSee last line. Nobody's getting into wrecks because of Waze.
- emodendroket 10y ago
- Jtsummers 10y agoWith cars we have technologies called roads and lines and signs that tell us where we can and cannot go. But sometimes, those fail us. Particularly in areas with lots of dirt roads (no lines). And especially when there are many dirt roads (potentially no signs, too many locations to put them up). That does not excuse people from driving in restricted areas. It may be cause for mitigation. But, at least around here, driving in an otherwise unmarked (signs) wilderness protection area (on the map), will still get you a ticket and a fine if you're caught. Even if you did pass into it on a dirt road you were allowed to drive on and there were no signs. The pilot can try that line of reasoning, it is (somewhat) valid. But reviewing maps would, ideally, only be made redundant. Since we don't live in an ideal world, it'd still be their responsibility to know where they were flying.
- Retric 10y agoThis only helps if drones are not actually dangerous. If they are, and an Airbus is destroyed, then that's the problem. Also, finding a drone operator is not necessarily easy.
- pg_is_a_butt 10y ago>Also, finding a drone operator is not necessarily easy. check their mom's basement