Drones coming to a neighborhood near you, says FAA

[OverVolt]

Then I will just make my own remote controlled helicopter with a crash cage and people will have the equivalent of battle bots going on over their house.

 

[irishScott]

Then I will just make my own remote controlled helicopter with a crash cage and people will have the equivalent of battle bots going on over their house.

Aerial battlebots would be pretty badass. Everyone in the neighborhood would have to wear safety helmets and glasses though.

 

[exdeath]

Hmm better idea, instead of destroying them, capture them and sell the parts.

 

[skyking]

bigger chopper and grapple hook , and a net to disable rotors.
Fish on baby!

 

[NoStateofMind]

they are talking about the ones the size of backpacks that are nearly silent and hover about 100ft or less off the ground. you wont really see them, but they will be watching you.

Anyone else get a "Half-Life" feeling out of this?

 

[Darwin333]

You can buy the little pre-built estes rockets for a few bucks. It would be really sweet to have something to use as target practice and since they are so cheap they are essentially disposable! Now to make a rail lug launcher instead of the flimsy rod that comes in the kit to get rid of "rail whip" and increase accuracy.

I foresee fun times ahead

Oooh, another idea! Instead of a chute you can pack the tube with 1/8" Kevlar string so even if you miss it ejects rotor destroying string above it! Maybe a tiny streamer on each side of the string to ensure that it spreads out giving you maximum range.

 

[exdeath]

Bah. The only thing we don't have yet is field propulsion. Still using stupid propellers and rockets.

 

[irishScott]

You can buy the little pre-built estes rockets for a few bucks. It would be really sweet to have something to use as target practice and since they are so cheap they are essentially disposable! Now to make a rail lug launcher instead of the flimsy rod that comes in the kit to get rid of "rail whip" and increase accuracy.

I foresee fun times ahead

Oooh, another idea! Instead of a chute you can pack the tube with 1/8" Kevlar string so even if you miss it ejects rotor destroying string above it! Maybe a tiny streamer on each side of the string to ensure that it spreads out giving you maximum range.

Yeah the issue with model rockets is accuracy, and modifying them to be accurate is going to be a bitch. What you might be able to do is line the top of the tube with metal, put some black powder in there (usually reserved for the ejection charges) along with some nails or other sharp pieces of metal, and essentially make an Estes pipe-bomb/flack shell. Timing would still be an issue though, in addition to accuracy. I suppose you could rig the charges to a radio and trigger them manually assuming the drone is in sight.

Perhaps more effective (and far less dangerous) would be instead of launching a parachute it launches a weighted net that would jam up the rotors. Would still require unreasonable accuracy though, although I suppose maneuvering jets/moveable fins could be attached at minimal cost.


I have to admit I'm tempted to buy some cheap RC helicopters, estes rocket kits and give the latter idea a try just for the shit of it.

 

[Zorkorist]

I've always thought "drones" were a stupid idea, relegated to a Government that had more dollars, than sense.

Drones in the battle field, huzzah, bad guy killed, but whatever, drone or not, fine.

Drones in the city streets of America? Will I be discussing my parking violation with a drone?

Will a drone, take a gander in my window at night, while I'm sleeping?

Huh, is this 1984?

-John

 

[Socio]

Then I will just make my own remote controlled helicopter with a crash cage and people will have the equivalent of battle bots going on over their house.

That is what I was thinking, customize my own RC plane with some kind of battering ram and just fly in to them or mount some kind of launchable grappling hook on it and go air fishing. When I hook one I would just cut the engine so the RC plane acts like an anchor, forcing it to the ground and confiscate it.

 

[sunzt]

I've always thought "drones" were a stupid idea, relegated to a Government that had more dollars, than sense.

Drones in the battle field, huzzah, bad guy killed, but whatever, drone or not, fine.

Drones in the city streets of America? Will I be discussing my parking violation with a drone?

Will a drone, take a gander in my window at night, while I'm sleeping?

Huh, is this 1984?

-John

The media has mischaracterized all Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as "Drones" which are typically referenced as military weapons. Commercial UAS markets are much larger and going to explode in the future. Japan already utilize UAS for commercial use such as for spraying agricultural products. Even in the US there are many commercial uses popping up such as real estate photography, law enforcement, mapping, movies, and for hobbyists.

The reason the FAA is being pressured so much to come up with UAS regulations is because it's an exploding market that is already here and will only continue to grow.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

The media has mischaracterized all Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as "Drones"

They are really AK-47's

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Drones make sense in certain contexts. They might do a good job for less money than flying a helicopter for traffic monitoring, cartography, etc. I don't have a problem with that. If people are concerned about other uses I suggest that drones be registered for specific purposes with criminal penalties for misuse. "Peeping Tom" drones could be disallowed, and if someone says "meteorological research" and it's looking in people's windows then it's a big fine for the first offence then up from there. They could be tagged with a GPS transponder and recorder which must be maintained and functional.

There are ways to address legitimate concerns, and those who avoid them, even LEO, can be held accountable with proper legislation.

 

[Nebor]

Anyone else get a "Half-Life" feeling out of this?

All this and I didn't even have to move to City 17!

 

[Thebobo]

We fly them every weekend at our field...

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

We fly them every weekend at our field...

I need one. I think I'd like an electric sailplane, but not sure what to get in an RTF or almost RTF.

 

[Jeff7]

Anyone else get a "Half-Life" feeling out of this?

Pretty much.


"For your own protection," I'm sure. Yes, because government or private security companies have excellent records of well-tempered benevolence and oversight.


I wonder if they'll tag in something to the laws to make it illegal to operate these things near federal and state legislature buildings?

 

[wirednuts]

I wonder if they'll tag in something to the laws to make it illegal to operate these things near federal and state legislature buildings?

of course they will. just wait, the drones could be automated to check id's too...

 

[exdeath]

Lol at modifying model rocket to guide itself.

Most are just cheap paper and cardboard with fixed fake fins glued. You need actual aero fins that are stable under high speed that can be steered with servos through shafts as well as missile housing that won't break or bend under G forces... Rocket motor nozzles that won't melt, a computer and software to control it, and IR or radar imaging systems and complex computer vision processing to guide it. And some cheap drones will be plastic and using electric motors with propellers, not much of a radar cross section or thermal footprint to go after.

And manual guiding with a onboard camera or something is likely to fail at rocket speeds and short distances with small moving targets. You have one second to find and steer to your target....crap missed again.

It won't be cheap or easy for a non engineering amateur at all.

Better off with a stable (Eg quad rotor) drone of your own firing a net or tethering , depending on what kind and size of drones we are considering .

 

[wirednuts]

I would imagine almost, if not all, hovering drones will be carbon fiber. not cheap to make, but its getting better... and whats neat is there isn't much chance people will want to steal them for scrap like they would with metallic ones.