Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - Research Paper Example

Drones Introduction Drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are aircraft that are controlled either by ‘pilots on the ground, not aboard or automatically through programming. The latter category is on the rise. While there are numerous types of drones, they all fall in either of two broad categories: one category is used for the purposes of reconnaissance and surveillance, and the other is armed with weapons(Joshi and Stein 58). Drones have become popular and their use more widespread in recent years. Unlike conventional manned aircraft, they are capable of staying in the air for several hours. Moreover, they are inexpensive relative to conventional aircraft, and they are remote controlled, thereby eliminating peril to the flight crew. However, despite these benefits, drones continue to generate much debate among the public. Much of this debate revolves around concerns of privacy and safety. This paper contends that there ought to be no fear over the good use of drones. Advantages of Drones Weather Drones have the potential to collect weather data from the farthest reaches of the atmosphere (Cutlip 7). These parts are difficult to reach using conventional weather instruments. The data thus collected could be integrated into models for predicting weather, thereby increasing the reliability and accuracy of weather forecasts. More accurate weather prediction would be useful in helping farmers that rely on rain-fed agriculture better plan their farming activities. This would come in handy at time when global warming has altered global and local weather patterns and rendered planning for farming activities difficult. Over the years, universities and research centers across the country have been exploring ways in which drones can be used to gather meteorological data. However, it was not until recently that drones started to be in collecting and interpreting weather data. Besides agriculture, improved weather prediction have other benefits. For instance, had it been available to them, the authorities and the University of Alaska would have used meteorological drones to predict that the winter storm of 2011 was going to be more severe than those usually experienced. Then the 3,500 residents of Nome would have been advised to replenish their supplies of fuel to last them the entire season. Then, they would not have had to endure the cold for several weeks as they waited for the relief fuel to arrive from Russia. Even so, the usefulness of this information would have largely depended on how well the authorities and researchers disseminated it. Improved weather prediction would also help tourists, both local and international, to plan their holidays (Moraes 190). The worldwide phenomenon of global warming has made difficult for meteorological departments to predict weather conditions accurately even for periods as short as a week. Thus, a local tourist may go on a vacation on the promise, by the meteorological department, of fine weather, only for the weather to turn out to be unfavorable. Meteorological departments can eliminate this inconvenience by using UAVs to obtain more accurate weather data. The data thus collected may be employed to predict future weather conditions with more precision. Commercial Applications In late 2013, a fleet of robots developed by Amazon shocked many. These robots can move around loads of cargo, pretty much like human beings(Mann 22). Whereas lifting and delivery drones are yet to be reported anywhere in the world, these Amazon robots could signal that they are fast approaching. Indeed, sooner than later, these robots might become a reality of day-to-day life. Once adopted and commercialized, lifting and delivery drones will help businesses, especially those in manufacturing and distribution, reduce the costs of operating warehouse. Also, poorly designed lifting tasks can cause workers back disorders. Lifting drones can help solve this problem. In 2011, Google started to work on delivery drones that would be used to deliver supplies to customers’ doorsteps. The company’s goal is to have a fully-fledged fleet of drones making thousands of deliveries to customers (Joshi and Stein 60). But they expect that it may take them several years before they can realize their goal mainly because the commercial use of drones is largely prohibited in the United States. The aim of Google is to have their fleet of UAVs traveling along programmed routes at heights of between 130 and 200 feet. The company intends to invest in precise navigation to ensure that the drones will take the most efficient routes while generating the least noise people and upholding the safety and privacy of the people below. The drones are intended to be small enough to land at the doorstep. Recently, Google released a video on YouTube that showed a farmer in Australia placing an order for dog food. A drone delivers the order. It takes off with its only wing pointing into the sky, but once airborne; the wing assumes a horizontal position, allowing the drone to fly faster. Google X, a division of Google Inc., works on long-term, high-risk, high-return projects. The company is optimistic that its drones project will create new economic opportunities while moving goods in the most efficient manner (Tremayne and Clark 235). Whereas the FAA is dragging their feet in allowing enterprises to use drones for commercial purposes, operators in Canada may apply for special licenses(Mann 21). This conducive environment has allowed the budding industry to flourish across a wide range of industries including the exploration of minerals. For instance, Ground Truth Exploration is using UAVs in its gold exploration activities in Yukon, thereby boosting the safety of the exploration activities. On the other hand, TransCanada is testing the use UAVs to monitor and report breakages and leaks in their pipelines. If successful, this application will enhance the safety of the organization’s distribution network. Rescue In 2011, a drone led a rescue operation in a small town called Nome in Alaska (Mann 21). That year, the town experiences a severe winter storm that brought all sea traffic to a halt and left the 3,500 residents of the town with inadequate fuel to see them through the winter. A fuel tanker was released from Vladivostok in Russia to deliver the relief fuel to the inhabitants of Nome. The thick sheets of ice could not let it. This was until an icebreaker led by a small flying robot was brought in. It was able to transmit 3-D maps of the ice conditions to the tanker and the icebreaker, with the aid of researchers stationed at the University of Alaska. Without the use of the drone, the Alaskan rescue mission would have been extremely difficult. This incidence demonstrates how, in the future, rescue organizations can use the technology in their rescue operations. However, before this can happen, the FAA will have to lift its ban on the commercial use drones. In the meantime, providers of rescue services may team with police departments are these are allowed to use drones that have capabilities for real-time surveillance. The case of Alaska also demonstrates the role universities can play in UAV-led rescue operations. The role the University of Alaska played in the mission cannot be ignored. Hence, public universities should take advantage of their licenses to operate drones to benefit whole communities. Because UAVs are controlled remotely from the ground (Degaspari), in the event that an accident occurs, there is no flight crew whose life is threatened. This contrasts with manned airplanes where an accident often results in the death of crew and passengers. In the case of the Alaskan rescue operation, it is unlikely that that on its own, a conventional aircraft would have salvaged the situation. There was a need to monitor ice conditions and report them to the rescue team in real time. This way, the icebreaker crew knew where ice conditions were less severe and, therefore, the two ships could penetrate with relative ease. An ordinary airplane without 3-D mapping capacity would have only put the lives of the rescue team at a risk. Arguments against Drones Privacy One of the biggest bottlenecks to the commercialization of UAVs is the privacy issue. However, this is an issue that Federal Aviation Administration can resolve with speed in the licensing process by requiring the operators of UAVs to obtain permits to overfly and photograph any given jurisdiction(Hill and Swanson 58). However, this solution is rather limited. It may work well for a group of farmers who may team to benefit from the geo-mapping capabilities of UAVs. On the other hand, if an operator were to fly across several states, each requiring them to obtain licenses, the process would become too costly and time-consuming. Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration has restricted the commercial use unmanned aircraft systems. As of now, military, law enforcement and scientific research are the only applications allowed to use drones. Recently, however, FAA permitted BP’s unmanned flights over the north of Alaska(Gershgorn 7). The flight kicked off on June 8, this year. This move could mark the beginning of the legalization of commercial UAV flights in the rest of the country. FAA revealed that they are working on enacting the relevant policies before commercial applications of UAVs can be given the green light. For now, the agency has hinted that it could exempt a company from existing regulations on a need basis. At the present, the FAA offers two different routes to licensing. The first route entails operators who use UAVs for public purposes, such as public universities and police departments. These can apply for and obtain permission to operate UAVs in the United States. The permits these institutions obtain enable them to monitor persons and property in real time(Hill and Swanson 58). However, this is not the all-time business of UAS. The fear of their being used for surveillance to many states enacting laws that limit or prohibit altogether UAVs from overflying their territory. Thus, a situation emerges where a federal agency grants a license to an institution, only for the license to be limited by the state. The other route to securing a license to operate UAVs is by convincing the FAA the technology is to be used for purposes of research and development. However, the entity seeking the license that the research they intend to undertake will benefit whole communities, not individuals sections of the community. Some of the researches that may obtain the FAAs stamp of approval are those in the areas of geo-mapping and environmental monitoring. Environment monitoring, for instance, can help the state to ensure environmental quality thereby safeguarding the right of the residents of the state to a clean and healthy environment. Safety Another source of controversy over the use UAVs is safety. However, the public debate has failed to recognize that there are different types of UAVs with different capabilities. Many people have assumed that all UAVs are used for real-time surveillance or weapons. This assumption is wrong(Hill and Swanson 58). The public debate has also failed to take into account that some UASs are so small that they cannot pose any threat to public safety. For example, the UAS that led the Alaska rescues mission was so small, it could fit a backpack. Thus, on the basis of size, the conventional aircraft poses more threat to public safety than UAVs. (Pierobon 34). Those opposed to drones have tended to overlook the ability of drones to eliminate the danger of casualties in the event of accidents. This advantage applies not only to crew and passengers, but also members of the public(Pierobon 34). Usually, whenever a plane crashes in a settled area, the lives and property of the people living in that area are jeopardized. This is in addition to the crew and passengers aboard the aircraft. Many UAVs are light. This means than even if they were to crash, the damage they would do to people and property is insignificant relative to the mainstream aircraft. Conclusion In the United States, a lot of public debate on drones has served to derail the licensing of the technology for commercial uses. Much of this debate revolves around issues of safety and privacy. About privacy, many Americans fear that the surveillance capabilities will enable organizations and individuals to monitor them in their homes, offices and places of recreation round the clock. They also fear that the unmanned vehicles could land on their heads and rooftops. While their fears may be justified, the evidence contained herein demonstrates that where they are used for good, regulated purposes, drones are efficient, and people need not be afraid of them. Works cited Cutlip, Kimbra. "Weather Front." Weatherwise65.2 (2012): 6-7. print. Degaspari, John. "Flying Blind." Mechanical Engineering125.7 (2003): 10. print. Gershgorn, Dave. "FAA Shows Signs of Loosening Drone Restrictions." Engineering News Record 274.9 (2014): 7. print. Hill, Jonathan and Anne Swanson. "Small UAVs Pose No Civil Threat." Aviation Week and Space Technology 175.17 (2013): 58. print. Joshi, Shashank and Aaron Stein. "Emerging Drone Nations." Survival55.5 (2013): 53-78. print. Mann, Arshy. "The Age of Drones." Canadian Business87.2 (2014): 21-22. print. Moraes, Dom. "Another Weather." Journal of Postcolonial Writing42.2 (2006): 185-194. print. Pierobon, Mario. "Unmanned Issues." Aviation Week & Space Technology174.40 (2012): 34. print. Tremayne, Mark and Andrew Clark. "New Perspectives from the Sky." Digital Journalism2.1 (2014): 232-246. print. Read More