{"id":1567,"date":"2013-04-26T18:29:08","date_gmt":"2013-04-26T17:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/?p=1567"},"modified":"2025-10-16T15:56:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T14:56:59","slug":"got-drones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/?p=1567","title":{"rendered":"Got Drones?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lately there has been increasing mention of the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for  unexpected purposes.  For example, both India<\/a> and Namibia<\/a> have been experimenting with the use of UAVs to control poaching, thanks to a $5 million grant given by Google to the WWF<\/a>.  Here’s a video<\/a> showing how it works in Namibia (here’s the view from the air<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commonly called drones, UAVs are part of a broader emerging class of vehicles which could include your friendly Roomba, robots that float on or travel under the sea, or land-based robots.  And they’re about to take over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drones have gotten a bad rap – essentially we’re talking about remote-controlled vehicles, often with cameras attached.  Which would be a really cool toy to have for making videos.  Not realistic, you say?  Actually, they are amazingly cheap.  You can use sites like DIYDrones<\/a> to learn how to make your own aerial drones, or, via links on the same site, buy a pretty sophisticated drone with all the trimmings for under $1,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, you can pick something up for a few hundred or less at your local electronics shop.  The difference between a “UAV” and a toy RC aircraft is that the UAVs don’t crash when they stray outside your fairly limited transmitter range – they have an autopilot mode.  They’re often a bit bigger and can carry other types of fairly sophisticated electronics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The growing interest in unmanned aircraft and its possible uses is promising for the field of commercial aviation – and is an area where U.S. companies might have a current advantage against overseas competitors.  However, the field is not without its detractors.  Besides the ongoing debate about overseas drone attacks, there is also growing concern<\/a> about issues such as privacy or airspace safety in the use of drones at home.  Others worry about more nefarious ends, likening the use of drones to “Big Brother”.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But soon, the drone may be a normal feature of American households.  For example, how about your very own drone scarecrow?<\/a>  I’m told the garden gnome drone would retail for about $200, which apparently is not quite “commercially viable” for the purpose of scaring away crows.  But it’s only a matter of time before these things come to a garden near you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a short video on drones and the ways they’re being increasingly used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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