NASA building robot-controlled drone traffic network

in ask on 2014-09-15 11:44 (#2SDW)

With 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.

4 comments

A highly necessary step (Score: 2)

by fnj@pipedot.org on 2014-09-15 12:16 (#2SDZ)

Don't see how anyone can be anything but welcoming to this initiative. Something like this is the missing piece without which the FAA would be remiss NOT to be highly cautionary about mass civilian drone use. I would say this makes the FAA look smart for its existing stand, and a whole lot of clueless lay people are looking pretty dumb for seeing no problem with helter-skelter unregulated commercial drone use.

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

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-15 13:55 (#2SE6)

And rightly so. The trick will be policing all the unlicensed drones shipped in pieces from overseas and/or hand built, that don't obey or participate in the automated traffic control.

But I guess that's what new laws and enforcement are for.

I wonder if this will also affect smaller model aircraft. Maybe I should read the fine article.

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.

Drone Army (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-16 07:50 (#2SEP)

Still waiting for someone to realise that cheap quadcopters plus explosives equals ultimate suicide bomberoffensive assault vehicle.

Take the boku haram problem for a start. They already use drones to spot their camps and monitor their movements. Just one little step further is to add an explosives charge to the copter fly it right into the camp as closeto a soldier as possible and away from hostages then boom.

Next tech advancement is not to waste a whole copter to take out a small number. Equip the copter with chargers or grenades. Fly above the camp. Drop the bombs. Move copter out of sight. Rearm. Send it back. Continue until they surrender.

Escalation. No army moves without anti mini aircraft detect and destroy units. The units are a small Iron Shield varient. Spot flying hostile craft sound an alert take them down. This will not stop suicide bomber copter tactics unless defence mechanisms can blow them up.

Only a matter of time.