4 ms·

I always thought it would be cool if a company built a big bird's nest tower in cities that would host a bunch of flying drones. Then, consumers could rent the

by jonmc12 15y ago

I always thought it would be cool if a company built a big bird's nest tower in cities that would host a bunch of flying drones. Then, consumers could rent the video-capture drones online to fly over approved areas, upon which the drones would return to nest for re-fueling. Think maybe you could subsidize the cost (possibly even make a profit) with the video data, or by streaming some feeds for the population to watch. Though have no idea of feasibility (FAA, equipment, real estate), I do like the idea of eyes in the sky for consumer benefit. Maybe something like this could be used for defense - giving population more awareness of airspace.

brd 15y ago
UAVs are currently not allowed to be flown by commercial entities in US airspace. If/when that changes it will be fascinating to watch the variety of startups that crop up to take advantage of it.
- rdtsc 15y ago
  However individuals can fly RC planes. What about companies making RC planes? Are they allowed to test fly them? Set one of those planes up with a deadly payload (use your imagination here) and you have a UAV...
epoxyhockey 15y ago
No nest needed, here's a sophisticated RC plane flying over NYC with no issue: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/12/how-a-rc-airplane-buzzed-the-statue-of-liberty-with-no-arrests.ars http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/12/how-a-rc-airplane...
ippisl 15y ago
This technology would also work great for nature movies and nature flight trips. Imagine you could rent rent an UAV , travel in Africa , from your home or a place with a giant screen , follow the great elephants crossing a river as if you were there.
- 0x12 15y ago
  Right, because what Elephants really need is to be hounded by a swarm of drones piloted by people from countries that are too lazy to even go see the world in person? Besides the risk of idiots crashing their drones in to animals on purpose for kicks you'd have to deal with the effect of animals that are perpetually on the run for these things. What next? Remote control trophy hunting?
  - OstiaAntica 15y ago
    > What next? Remote control trophy hunting? In fact, Internet based, real-life hunting has been done, and is now illegal in the U.S. http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0405/p01s02-ussc.html http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0405/p01s02-ussc.html
    - 0x12 15y ago
      Every time I've put a new upper limit on how weird a place the world really is someone will find a reference to something forcing me to revise the previous one. At some level I still have a hope that this will stop some day but I fear that it will not and that on my dying day I'll have to revise it once again.
torstesu 15y ago
This would have to be constrained to consumers experienced with flying RC planes. Imagine the number of planes crashing due to the incompetency of the operator if anyone could rent an RC plane over the internet. However, I really like the idea. It would be like google street view, only you are the driver -- in the sky.

by jonmc12 15y ago

brd 15y ago

UAVs are currently not allowed to be flown by commercial entities in US airspace. If/when that changes it will be fascinating to watch the variety of startups that crop up to take advantage of it.

rdtsc 15y ago
However individuals can fly RC planes. What about companies making RC planes? Are they allowed to test fly them? Set one of those planes up with a deadly payload (use your imagination here) and you have a UAV...

epoxyhockey 15y ago

No nest needed, here's a sophisticated RC plane flying over NYC with no issue: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/12/how-a-rc-airplane-buzzed-the-statue-of-liberty-with-no-arrests.ars http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/12/how-a-rc-airplane...

ippisl 15y ago

This technology would also work great for nature movies and nature flight trips. Imagine you could rent rent an UAV , travel in Africa , from your home or a place with a giant screen , follow the great elephants crossing a river as if you were there.

0x12 15y ago
Right, because what Elephants really need is to be hounded by a swarm of drones piloted by people from countries that are too lazy to even go see the world in person? Besides the risk of idiots crashing their drones in to animals on purpose for kicks you'd have to deal with the effect of animals that are perpetually on the run for these things. What next? Remote control trophy hunting?
- OstiaAntica 15y ago
  > What next? Remote control trophy hunting? In fact, Internet based, real-life hunting has been done, and is now illegal in the U.S. http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0405/p01s02-ussc.html http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0405/p01s02-ussc.html
  - 0x12 15y ago
    Every time I've put a new upper limit on how weird a place the world really is someone will find a reference to something forcing me to revise the previous one. At some level I still have a hope that this will stop some day but I fear that it will not and that on my dying day I'll have to revise it once again.

torstesu 15y ago

This would have to be constrained to consumers experienced with flying RC planes. Imagine the number of planes crashing due to the incompetency of the operator if anyone could rent an RC plane over the internet. However, I really like the idea. It would be like google street view, only you are the driver -- in the sky.