DRONES IN AERIAL SURVEILLANCE

WHAT IS A DRONE ?  A drone, in a technological context, is an unmanned aircraft.  Drones are formally known as unmanned air vehicles (UAV). Essentially a drone is a flying robot.  The aircraft may be remotely controlled or can fly autonomously through software-controlled flight plans in their embedded systems working in conjunction with GPS.

WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT DRONES ?  For many, the term “Drone” seems to conjure images of military use and war weaponry. As a result, the mere thought of these futuristic flying devices tend to pose security and privacy concerns to several people.  However, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are also used for defence purposes and those that may one day may buzz around the skies are quite different, and in fact, may change the world — for the better.

USES OF DRONES:  Farming is tough, and drones are making it easier. With their aerial abilities, farmers can now see if their irrigation systems are working, how their crops are growing, even see if any of the plants are sick by using infrared technology.  Covering the news. When it comes to reporting, there’s nothing more important than catching the action as it happens. In what may become the next trend in journalism, students across the country are already learning how drones could help them be better reporters, and some reporters have already begun using UAVs to capture the day’s news.

 Fighting crime in the neighbourhood. Police departments across the country are buying drones that they can use for surveillance and other protection-related activities. Even the FBI is using them.  Putting out wildfires. Drones are becoming an incredibly useful tool for firefighters, especially those who have the seemingly impossible task of putting out wildfires. Not only are the aircrafts being used to spot the fire and tracking its movement, but they can actually fight fires as well, ultimately keeping people out of harm’s way.

 The first targeted drone strike by the United States occurred on Feb. 4, 2002 in Afghanistan when a CIA Predator drone fired on a group they believed included Osama bin Laden. The targets, all killed, were civilians gathering scrap metal.

4 common types of DRONES

Four Common types of drones  1)Camera Drones  2)UAV  3)Mini Drones  4)Quadcopter

Camera Drones

UAV Drones

Mini Drones

Quadcopters

 Steady growth in drone technology  Law enforcement agencies have expressed interest in using drones  Drones are becoming available for domestic use  Despite their benefits, they have potential for abuse  It is the non-governmental use of drones, i.e. in journalism and private sector that infringes privacy  Privacy needs to be protected and transparency needs to be enhanced

 People have a reasonable expectation of privacy  Widespread concern  Public aware of rights but unfamiliar with drone technology  Existence of online platforms  Limit the right of society to be left alone  Trespassing

 Deliberate invasions of privacy  Disclosure of images  Monitoring of public space  Right to confidentiality and a good reputation  Surveillance  Systematic monitoring of data Breaches

 Drone industry must develop trust  Old laws are incapable of safeguarding privacy  New measures need to be taken up to ensure transparency  New technology needs to be encouraged in order to combat misuse of drones  Legislation needs to be put in place to oversee the use of drones  All private drone users need to submit data to the government for verification