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Anyone else worried about the noise pollution that will result from widespread drone delivery services and “flying cars”? I’m thinking the pushback won’t happen

Anyone else worried about the noise pollution that will result from widespread drone delivery services and “flying cars”? I’m thinking the pushback won’t happen until there’s enough penetration that wealthy interest groups will make it impossible to rollback. I can envision a future where we’re all just stuck with a loud constant hum from drones overhead.

fauigerzigerk 7y ago
Are they louder than delivery vans? I never heard one from close distance so I really don't know.
- dcow 7y ago
  Yes. They sound like weed whackers.
  - Funes- 7y ago
    Or like a huge swarm of bees flying overhead. That's what I thought it was when I first heard one of those--it turned out to be a drone flying only ~30 feet over our heads.
  - delfinom 7y ago
    vuvuzelas You know, that annoying thing that ruined FIFA world cup matches?
    - pinkfoot 7y ago
      Heresy!
    - tripzilch 7y ago
      I thought it was the corruption
- bufferoverflow 7y ago
  They are comparable to cars driving on a highway, 75-80 decibels. Though that's small consumer drones. Depending on the design, the delivery drones can be louder or quieter. We just don't know.
  - delfinom 7y ago
    Cars driving on the highway are a.) driving in a controlled designated area b.) not near residential housing mostly but and more often than not, sound barrier walls are built in situations they are
    - leetcrew 7y ago
      the noise of a bunch of cars is also a much less annoying frequency than your typical drone, which is more of a buzz. I say this as a drone enthusiast myself; I only feel comfortable flying mine when other people aren't around.
    - IshKebab 7y ago
      > not near residential housing mostly Maybe not in America but there are plenty of motorways in the UK that go right next to houses. For example: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Port+Talbot/@51.5978766,-3.7867629,120a,35y,42.84h,50.75t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x486e417d526519d3:0x988defbf4b68103f!8m2!3d51.5946799!4d-3.784097 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Port+Talbot/@51.5978766,... That's obviously a pretty insane road to build (60s were a different time I guess!), so I guess this doesn't really invalidate your point. Anyway I think the noise won't be too bad. How many drone based deliveries are people going to get? Maybe one a week on average? I can live with that.
      - tripzilch 7y ago
        If all my neighbours are getting one or two deliveries per week, there will be drones in the street all day.
- tigershark 7y ago
  https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6382467/wings-drones-exceed-suburban-noise-limits-test-finds/ https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6382467/wings-drones-... 69 decibels measured at 15m during delivery. Presumably it should be quieter during the flight since it can climb up to 120m
tyfon 7y ago
I'm more worried about having thousands of airborne google cameras flying about filming without peoples consent than the noise. Fossil trucks and cars are very noisy already.
- bufferoverflow 7y ago
  Anybody is allowed filming in public (with minor restrictions on tunnels and bridges and government agency buildings in some areas), the courts have ruled on that many times. Plus they already have satellites photographing the whole planet daily. I'm more worried about the drones breaking and falling on our heads.
  - tyfon 7y ago
    Is the view of a garden from 20 meters up in the air considered "public filming"? Can I fly a drone over the house of whomever I want and record all they're doing?
    - bufferoverflow 7y ago
      The law is not settled on how high you can fly above private property. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b9a60354-30c6-445a-8bf4-f6d772bb9152 https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b9a60354-30c6... But note, it's a different question from whether one can film your property from public space. I can fly a drone above the public street and film your property from the side. And it's legal.
  - arkades 7y ago
    I'm not really sure what your point was intended to be in your first paragraph. "I'm worried about ubiquitous drone-enabled surveillance." "Well, it's legal." I don't really see how that addresses any concern.
    - ShteiLoups 7y ago
      If we don't want it happening, we should make it illegal, simple as that.
delfinom 7y ago
Well guys. Take your last relaxing walk outside. Because it's vuvuzela land from here on. Our children will never know how nice it was outside. The fact you could once hear birds singing and the wind blowing.
- grawprog 7y ago
  I dunno, our children may discover the joys of slingshots again. There'd be plenty of target practice for them.
  - anon1m0us 7y ago
    It's not illegal to destroy someone's privacy but it is illegal to destroy someone's property. As odd as that is. I wonder if there might be a loophole by which one could make all their private information classed as "trade secret" and then divulging any of it or snooping into any of it would be against the law.
chibg10 7y ago
Isn’t figuring this problem out what the FAA has been doing for the last five years? If we’re going to have public nuisance drones at the end of the day anyway, why they just let it happen earlier? My understanding is that drones will operate sort of like power lines or a highway system; they will fly in straight lines on pre-approved routes and only deviate at last mile delivery. Hopefully they’ve thought of other measures as well.

fauigerzigerk 7y ago

Are they louder than delivery vans? I never heard one from close distance so I really don't know.

dcow 7y ago
Yes. They sound like weed whackers.
- Funes- 7y ago
  Or like a huge swarm of bees flying overhead. That's what I thought it was when I first heard one of those--it turned out to be a drone flying only ~30 feet over our heads.
- delfinom 7y ago
  vuvuzelas You know, that annoying thing that ruined FIFA world cup matches?
  - pinkfoot 7y ago
    Heresy!
  - tripzilch 7y ago
    I thought it was the corruption
bufferoverflow 7y ago
They are comparable to cars driving on a highway, 75-80 decibels. Though that's small consumer drones. Depending on the design, the delivery drones can be louder or quieter. We just don't know.
- delfinom 7y ago
  Cars driving on the highway are a.) driving in a controlled designated area b.) not near residential housing mostly but and more often than not, sound barrier walls are built in situations they are
  - leetcrew 7y ago
    the noise of a bunch of cars is also a much less annoying frequency than your typical drone, which is more of a buzz. I say this as a drone enthusiast myself; I only feel comfortable flying mine when other people aren't around.
  - IshKebab 7y ago
    > not near residential housing mostly Maybe not in America but there are plenty of motorways in the UK that go right next to houses. For example: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Port+Talbot/@51.5978766,-3.7867629,120a,35y,42.84h,50.75t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x486e417d526519d3:0x988defbf4b68103f!8m2!3d51.5946799!4d-3.784097 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Port+Talbot/@51.5978766,... That's obviously a pretty insane road to build (60s were a different time I guess!), so I guess this doesn't really invalidate your point. Anyway I think the noise won't be too bad. How many drone based deliveries are people going to get? Maybe one a week on average? I can live with that.
    - tripzilch 7y ago
      If all my neighbours are getting one or two deliveries per week, there will be drones in the street all day.
tigershark 7y ago
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6382467/wings-drones-exceed-suburban-noise-limits-test-finds/ https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6382467/wings-drones-... 69 decibels measured at 15m during delivery. Presumably it should be quieter during the flight since it can climb up to 120m

tyfon 7y ago

I'm more worried about having thousands of airborne google cameras flying about filming without peoples consent than the noise. Fossil trucks and cars are very noisy already.

bufferoverflow 7y ago
Anybody is allowed filming in public (with minor restrictions on tunnels and bridges and government agency buildings in some areas), the courts have ruled on that many times. Plus they already have satellites photographing the whole planet daily. I'm more worried about the drones breaking and falling on our heads.
- tyfon 7y ago
  Is the view of a garden from 20 meters up in the air considered "public filming"? Can I fly a drone over the house of whomever I want and record all they're doing?
  - bufferoverflow 7y ago
    The law is not settled on how high you can fly above private property. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b9a60354-30c6-445a-8bf4-f6d772bb9152 https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b9a60354-30c6... But note, it's a different question from whether one can film your property from public space. I can fly a drone above the public street and film your property from the side. And it's legal.
- arkades 7y ago
  I'm not really sure what your point was intended to be in your first paragraph. "I'm worried about ubiquitous drone-enabled surveillance." "Well, it's legal." I don't really see how that addresses any concern.
  - ShteiLoups 7y ago
    If we don't want it happening, we should make it illegal, simple as that.

delfinom 7y ago

Well guys. Take your last relaxing walk outside. Because it's vuvuzela land from here on. Our children will never know how nice it was outside. The fact you could once hear birds singing and the wind blowing.

grawprog 7y ago
I dunno, our children may discover the joys of slingshots again. There'd be plenty of target practice for them.
- anon1m0us 7y ago
  It's not illegal to destroy someone's privacy but it is illegal to destroy someone's property. As odd as that is. I wonder if there might be a loophole by which one could make all their private information classed as "trade secret" and then divulging any of it or snooping into any of it would be against the law.

chibg10 7y ago

Isn’t figuring this problem out what the FAA has been doing for the last five years? If we’re going to have public nuisance drones at the end of the day anyway, why they just let it happen earlier? My understanding is that drones will operate sort of like power lines or a highway system; they will fly in straight lines on pre-approved routes and only deviate at last mile delivery. Hopefully they’ve thought of other measures as well.