The future of drone technology
months although it will be many years until the federal aviation administration (FAA) will agree to its use in major cities.
Not only is this technology being realized on Earth, but NASA has developed a helicopter for use on the planet Mars. The small, autonomous rotorcraft will travel as a carryon to the Mars 2020 Rover Mission. Construction is already complete, and this is a real piece of technology today. Developed at JPL, the drone is a demonstration to show just how far this technology will take us. The drone itself required some incredible engineering to construct. Mars’ atmosphere is 1% as dense as Earth’s and so it was a great challenge to generate enough lift for the drone to fly in such conditions. 19 This mission in particular really highlights the power of such technology and shows just how quickly the world is changing. In order to allow such revolutionary change to be brought about however, the public view of drones must be changed, regulations altered, and people educated on the technology. The technology has proven and will continue to prove to be extremely helpful to us as a society and its evolution into more impactful applications must be embraced with caution. I believe in the inevitable widespread implication of drone technology in future society but am also weary of the problems it poses. We must stagger the introduction of such technologies and be sure to control its progression ourselves in order to prevent creating a big brother element to society. Although in larger cities around the world there are millions of stationary cameras filming our every move, UAVs offer a unique vantage point – one to be used in moderation and with care. Bill Gates says ‘ Drones overall will be more impactful than I think people recognize, in positive ways to help society ’ 20 and Vladimir Putin stated ‘ You need to put drones under control; you need to lay out certain rules of engagement in order to prevent or minimize collateral casualties. It is extremely important. ’ The contrast between these two incredibly accurate quotes perfectly summarizes the responsibilities we have as we enter this new era.
19 https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/mars-helicopter-to-fly-on-nasa-s-next-red-planet-rover-mission. 20 https://www.geekwire.com/2013/bill-gates-jeff-bezos-overoptimistic-drones/.
25
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs