Drones are back in the news again. Suspected drone activity near London Gatwick (IATA Code GTW), home to the world’s busiest single runway international airport, affected thousands of passengers from all over the world as their flights were cancelled. This is because a plane-drone collision could be catastrophic for those in the aircraft as well as those on the ground. Gatwick authorities closed the airport for a few days in the interest of passenger safety.
Drones are a relatively new addition to our skies. Once exclusive to Air Forces around the world, these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs to give their official name), have grown in popularity over the past 10 years or so. Sri Lanka restricted their use during the conflict period, but they are now freely available for sale in gadget shops islandwide. Anyone can walk into a shop, buy a drone and fly it just 10 minutes later.
Decline in price
What made this transformation possible is the rapid decline in their price. Even as prices have fallen, the drones have improved in terms of technology and sophistication. Battery and radio technology have also improved so the drones can stay in the air longer and go farther without losing radio and transmission range. Today, you can buy a fairly sophisticated drone for around US$ 100 (Rs 18,000 approx). There is no denying that that there is an upsurge in their use around the world – and not always with good intentions in mind.
Although a damaged drone was found in the vicinity of the airport and a couple was arrested in connection with the Gatwick drone sightings, they were later released without any charges. But one cannot fault the airport management for deciding to close the busy airport, because passenger safety is always paramount.
There are two main concerns here. One is that a drone could collide with an aircraft on its landing approach, with disastrous consequences. But, there is an even more sinister reason – someone could use a drone equipped with a bomb to bring down a plane. In fact, militaries around the world regularly use drones that deliver bombs and there is no reason why the same logic cannot be applied to a terrorist wishing to destroy a civilian airliner. This is all too easy to accomplish. Fears have already been expressed that a resurgent al-Qaeda is planning a terror attack using this method.
Control of drones
This is why countries around the world are scrambling to find ways to control the purchase and use of drones. A few countries have banned drone manufacture and imports outright. All other countries ban their use around airports, military bases and important government installations.
There are many drone jamming devices available to Security Forces worldwide, that work by cutting the connection between the drone and the human controller. However, some of the latest drones can operate on their own after being pre-programmed and touch down later.
A powerful laser which can bring down drones has also been developed. Trained snipers have also been used to target and destroy rogue drones.
Most surprisingly, eagles have been trained to pry drones out of the sky in the Netherlands, with some success. More sophisticated techniques could be developed in the future, but we must remember that drone makers are also one step ahead all the time. It is difficult to stop rapid progress in an exciting and rewarding field like this.
Misuse of drones
But, the controversy over the misuse of drones has shifted the attention away from their benefits and future potential. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos was one of the first to see the role that could be played by drones in the delivery of goods.
Amazon has already made a few experimental deliveries, but this is a technology that can definitely work. Just last week, authorities delivered a vital vaccine to a child in the remote island of Vanuatu by a drone. It could have been much more expensive to deliver the same vaccine by boat or helicopter. There is no doubt that drone deliveries could be popular as early as 2030.
Drones can also be a valuable asset in search and rescue efforts. In fact, drones are being used extensively in the search for survivors in Indonesia after the recent tsunami. Drones can be used to reach mountainous and other areas that are difficult to access. Drones are also used to inspect pipelines and bridges for any cracks and shortcomings. Police forces regularly use drones for aerial surveillance and crowd control. This has however raised privacy concerns as drones can be used by individuals and authorities to invade people’s privacies.
Drones have revolutionized photography and videography – there is no need to hire expensive helicopters for aerial shots any more – and also sports coverage on television, giving us unique, hitherto impossible angles. The next time you think “how did they get that shot” chances are that a drone had been used. Drones are also used in agriculture for crop dusting and surveillance. For example, the 9-foot long Rmax autonomous helicopter can carry a 62-pound payload and spray 2 acres of farmland in just six minutes.
Weather phenomena
They are also useful for detecting weather phenomena such as storms and hurricanes. Drones are used for 3-D mapping of remote terrain. These are just a few of the uses for drones and there will be future applications too.
There are even ‘live’ drones – miniature cameras fitted to the back of bees to record their behaviours and natural habitat. Drones do not even have to be exclusively sky-based – there already are underwater drones which can inspect shipwrecks, the underside of vessels and undersea tunnels. There are land-based drones too, but most people would use instead the term robot to describe such an item.
Looking ahead, drones will no doubt be used for future manned and unmanned space missions. A future manned mission to Mars will be able to accomplish a lot more with hundreds of drones collecting data on the planet.
Drones are not going to go away. They will in fact get cheaper and more advanced over the next decade. The downside is that it will be easier for rogue elements to get their hands on one. Drones thus pose a real dilemma for the authorities everywhere.
There are many legitimate uses and benefits of drones that it would be counterproductive to severely restrict their use. Yet, some sort of control is called for as there could be elements plotting to use drones for committing a terrorist act. It is this thin line that authorities have to tread on rather carefully.