5 ms·

I think this is going to get far worse before it gets better. These drones remind me of the use of burner phones - like most tech end up doing eventually it's h

I think this is going to get far worse before it gets better. These drones remind me of the use of burner phones - like most tech end up doing eventually it's hit a price point where we can easily pick up and discard new ones with little concern which means that it's going to be a necessity to have one of these for any criminal operation as others start to include them in theirs (arms races aren't just for countries, certainly happens in smaller more local settings). The article mentions a few options for how the authorities will limit the criminal applications but I wonder if it'll get more extreme than that (especially after we end up with a terrorist attack perpetrated by someone using a drone). It won't solve all negative use cases but I wonder if there's some way for drone manufacturers to create no fly zones automatically that will cause a drone to redirect if it enters one and allows law enforcement to create new temporary zones for situations like the one described in the article. edit for clarity

edem 9y ago
Even if you create no go zones, those drones will just get hacked or custom ones will be built.
- ozim 9y ago
  With drones it is quite easy to spot one if it is in no fly zone so authorities can react or place some system that takes down rouge drones. With no gun zones it is different because you still can carry concealed gun.
  - jobigoud 9y ago
    You can build one for less than 200$ that is 10 to 15 cm in size, less than 250g, fly for 5 to 8 min, and has several kilometers of radio and video range. It's not easy to spot if it's in a no fly zone.
    - mcbits 9y ago
      It's pretty easy to detect and locate the radio emissions from the motors, transceiver, and video transmitter if it has one - as in, screaming in your ear through a bullhorn easy. It's probably also possible (not sure how easy) to identify the the specific RC controller that's paired with the offending drone, even if there are other people flying their drones safely in the same general area.
jstanley 9y ago
No fly zones will only keep good guys out. The same is true of any regulation-based solution. Anybody can build a drone at home that ignores no-fly zones and doesn't broadcast any serial numbers, and then operate it remotely, with very little chance of getting caught. I don't know what the answer is, other than to hope that most people continue to be mostly good. In case you haven't seen it, the short film "Slaughterbots" is worth a watch: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9CO6M2HsoIA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9CO6M2HsoIA
- erric 9y ago
  I wonder if using a lower tech solution, birds of prey, would be a better option then regulation?
  - cm2187 9y ago
    Drones are cheaper to buy in volume than it is to train birds.
    - erric 9y ago
      Indeed! Here’s one example[0] So LE should get counter-drones. But then the “bad guys” will get anti-counter-drones. [0] https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16767000/police-netherlands-eagles-rogue-drones https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16767000/police-netherla...
      - croon 9y ago
        > So LE should get counter-drones. But then the “bad guys” will get anti-counter-drones. This reminds me of the not well aged The Big Hit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw3G80bplTg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw3G80bplTg
      - mmirate 9y ago
        Right, in military aviation that's just the dichotomy between bombers and fighters. Of course your enemy won't send unescorted bombers if they know you have fighters. That's why victory requires that your own fighters maintain air superiority.

edem 9y ago

Even if you create no go zones, those drones will just get hacked or custom ones will be built.

ozim 9y ago
With drones it is quite easy to spot one if it is in no fly zone so authorities can react or place some system that takes down rouge drones. With no gun zones it is different because you still can carry concealed gun.
- jobigoud 9y ago
  You can build one for less than 200$ that is 10 to 15 cm in size, less than 250g, fly for 5 to 8 min, and has several kilometers of radio and video range. It's not easy to spot if it's in a no fly zone.
  - mcbits 9y ago
    It's pretty easy to detect and locate the radio emissions from the motors, transceiver, and video transmitter if it has one - as in, screaming in your ear through a bullhorn easy. It's probably also possible (not sure how easy) to identify the the specific RC controller that's paired with the offending drone, even if there are other people flying their drones safely in the same general area.

jstanley 9y ago

No fly zones will only keep good guys out. The same is true of any regulation-based solution. Anybody can build a drone at home that ignores no-fly zones and doesn't broadcast any serial numbers, and then operate it remotely, with very little chance of getting caught. I don't know what the answer is, other than to hope that most people continue to be mostly good. In case you haven't seen it, the short film "Slaughterbots" is worth a watch: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9CO6M2HsoIA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9CO6M2HsoIA

erric 9y ago
I wonder if using a lower tech solution, birds of prey, would be a better option then regulation?
- cm2187 9y ago
  Drones are cheaper to buy in volume than it is to train birds.
  - erric 9y ago
    Indeed! Here’s one example[0] So LE should get counter-drones. But then the “bad guys” will get anti-counter-drones. [0] https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16767000/police-netherlands-eagles-rogue-drones https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16767000/police-netherla...
    - croon 9y ago
      > So LE should get counter-drones. But then the “bad guys” will get anti-counter-drones. This reminds me of the not well aged The Big Hit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw3G80bplTg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw3G80bplTg
    - mmirate 9y ago
      Right, in military aviation that's just the dichotomy between bombers and fighters. Of course your enemy won't send unescorted bombers if they know you have fighters. That's why victory requires that your own fighters maintain air superiority.