NASA building robot-controlled drone traffic network

by
in ask on (#2SDW)
story imageWith Google and Amazon unveiling their new drones, NASA has called for private partners to join its ambitious plan to create a low-altitude air traffic network over the US - that will be run without human traffic controllers - within 10 years.
In a tender published on Wednesday, the agency's Silicon Valley-based Ames Research Center encouraged "public, private, and academic organizations to collaborate with NASA to conduct Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and UAS Traffic Management (UTM) research and development with the collective goal of safely enabling these operations at lower altitudes by UTM system."

The studies will focus on mapping out corridors and no-fly areas (like airfields) creating a collision detection system, and programming an algorithm that will allow drones to safely fly in hazardous conditions such as rain, and strong wind, which is a particular danger for such light objects.

Re: Well There's a Hobby That Just Got A Lot More Expensive (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-15 14:35 (#2SE9)

Not necessarily. I suspect it'll be the same as with cars. As some cars begin to support more and more automation, they'll need to still monitor surrounding spaces for manually operated vehicles (not to mention pedestrians, cyclists, animals, etc), and take appropriate action to avoid collisions. Airborne drones shouldn't be any different, but in the interest of safety and progress, maybe instead of doing nothing, you buy an inexpensive "broadcast beacon" that can let automated drones know there's a manually operated vehicle in the area, so give a wide berth if possible.
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