You might already own a selfie stick – but AirSelfie is much cooler!
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Tag Archives: drones
Camera drones: A flying spy is peeping into your window
Drones have conquered the world: they are used to hunt down tax evaders and illegal hunters, help suppress wildfires, find victims after natural disasters… They even serve as flying cameras to assist in filming movies and for aerial photography.
Online retail giant Amazon, for example, is planning on using drones for commercial delivery in order to fly purchases right to customers’ front doors. Despite being originally developed for military purposes, drones are slowly finding their place into our everyday lives. However, just as with every other technology, these unmanned aerial vehicles can pose a serious threat if they fall into the wrong hands.
Among other things, drones can be used as highly effective spies. Their ability to get close to almost any place where confidential data is stored (for example, an office) without being seen, makes them the perfect spy. Not only because of their ability to carry cameras and capture images through windows, but also because they can make the perfect weapon to carry out sophisticated cyber-attacks.
Drones can be used by cyber-criminals to easily get their malicious tools close to their target without having to overcome the physical barriers that the potential victim may have in place (security guards, access control systems, biometric sensors, surveillance cameras, etc.).
A drone could hide, for example, a jammer, a malicious hotspot, a device to launch attacks via Bluetooth or NFC, etc. The number of ways in which these aerial devices can be used to spy on victims and steal confidential information is almost endless.
Such is the risk that there are countries such as Sweden that have ruled that camera drones qualify as surveillance cameras, banning their use unless the drone operator has the necessary permit.
However, a cyber-criminal that wanted to use a drone to carry out an attack would still have another option: to take control of someone else’s device. Unfortunately, many of today’s models have vulnerabilities that could allow a remote attacker to take control of them.
Drone manufacturers have the responsibility to increase the security of their aircrafts to mitigate the security and privacy concerns raised by them. As this technology becomes ever more present in our lives, it is clear that the notion of safety and security in IT systems cannot be limited to computers and smartphones, but should also reach other high-flying devices. In this respect, having the cyber-security protection that best adapts to your needs is absolutely essential.
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California governor vetoes drone bill
In the wake of increasing drone incidents, including the most recent highly-publicized crashes at the U.S. Open tennis tournament and the opening game of a newly renovated college football stadium in Kentucky, drones got a somewhat surprising defender last week: California Governor Jerry Brown.
Governor Brown last week vetoed a bill that would have barred drones from flying within 350 feet above a property without “express permission” of the property owners. Despite easily passing the state legislature, the bill was widely reported to have opposition by tech industry companies and trade organizations.
Brown said in his veto message that the measure went too far in its restrictions. The bill, which is SB142 by Santa Barbara Democratic Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, would have created a trespassing crime for operating drones within 350 feet above private property without the consent of the property owner.
In his official statement about the veto, Brown noted, “Drone technology certainly raises novel issues that merit careful examination,” and should be looked at “more carefully.” But in his measured response, he suggested the act would be a crime “whether or not anyone’s privacy was violated by the flight.”
Said the Governor, “This bill, however, while well-intentioned, could expose the occasional hobbyist and the FAA-approved commercial user alike to burdensome litigation and new causes of action.”
As industry observer news website Re/Code reported, one of the tech industry’s leading associations, The Consumer Electronics Association, was a vocal opponent of the legislation. Among CEA members are Amazon and Google, both of which are planning drone delivery services. And among other influential participants, Re/Code also reported that GoPro, which recently announced plans for a drone, was in opposition.
“Safe, responsible drone use will transform the way we do business — allowing these devices to assist in search and rescue and disaster relief missions, improve crop production and efficiency, and create safer work environments for infrastructure maintenance.” Gary Shapiro, the CEA president and CEO, said in his statement to Re/Code.
Drones are (literally) at the intersection of technology, security, and privacy. Unfortunately, some bad players have colored the drone issue to date. But there are benefits to be derived from drone technology: They can speed delivery of emergency supplies, they can provide great benefits to agriculture, and they can literally save lives. For example, in natural and/or manmade disasters, drones can be positioned to survey damage, locate lost hikers or disaster victims, and improve efficiency and safety of rescue teams.
There will no doubt be more legal decisions and bills involved. As Re/Code also noted: 46 different states have considered 156 different bills about drones this year. And as American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) policy analyst Jay Stanley recently said about drone policing,” It’s still a bit of a Wild West.”
But as Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, the now-retired US Airways pilot that in 2009 managed to safely land his Airbus A320 passenger jet in the Hudson River, saving all 155 persons aboard, emphasizes: we need better risk management, better regulation of the recreational drone industry, and more enforcement of those regulations when drone operators do what he describes as “stupid, reckless, dangerous things.”
Fire Department drone warning: if you fly, we can’t.
In the United States, California as well as parts of the Midwest and Southwest are experiencing some of the worst drought conditions on record and facing severe wildfire risks. An as of early this week, ABC World News reported that more than 50 major wildfires were estimated to be burning in the US.
At the same time, ABC’s local San Francisco affiliate also was reporting on the promise of drones using regular and infrared cameras to assist in fighting wildfires.
A Wired article earlier in June reported on the promise of “Fighting Forest Fires before they get Big –with Drones’. “The idea,” Wired wrote, “is to enable early location and identification of fires using drones, planes, and satellites mounted with special infrared cameras. The system, called Fire Urgency Estimator in Geosynchronous Orbit (Fuego), could help spot new wildfires anywhere in the Western US barely three minutes after they start. The promise of Fuego is the ability to pinpoint fires more quickly and for firefighters to get to the fire more quickly and put it out faster.
Increasingly, drones and unmanned flying vehicles are becoming a popular tool in fire departments for assisting in assessing fires of all types, and using the technology in this manner totally make sense…
But there is other news about drones and forest fires that is equally concerning, even chilling: In late June, a drone flying in illegal airspace forced fire crews near Los Angeles to divert their air drops, allowing a fire in the Big Bear Lake area.
As reported in the LA Times, a ground commander saw a drone at approximately 11,000 feet up (way above the FAA’s 400 feet regulation) and this forced an air tanker and two smaller planes to turn away from their strategic drops. The tanker diverted and dropped its retardant on a fire near the Nevada border, and the two smaller planes had to jettison their drops so that they could land with a safe weight. As the planes returned to their base, they saw another drone, this one flying nearly three times above the 400-foot limit.
“These folks who are handling these drones, I have to assume they have no idea what they’re doing,” said Chon Bribiescas, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. “They not only endangered the folks on the ground, but they endanger the pilots.”
All in all, the forced pullback the LA firefighters had to do last week was a missed opportunity to control the fire. Subsequent missions had to be scrubbed as well and officials said that the private drones definitely allowed the fire to grow.
This isn’t the first time that fire fighters have had problems with drones – there were incidents in Oregon, Washington state, Northern California and Idaho last year.
Compounding the “What were they thinking?” factor, these drone operators had to be operating from the ground near an unpredictable fire, not to mention that a fire zone is restricted airspace to begin with.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released multiple statements warning operators that “Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) are typically put in place during wildfires that require most aircraft, manned or unmanned, other than those engaged in wildfire suppression operations to obtain permission from fire managers to enter specified airspace.”
The Forest Service has put up red signs that state succinctly: “If you fly, we can’t.” Enough said.
Meanwhile, the FAA is expected to issue new rules governing drone aircraft operation in the near future, though drone-flying incidents like these are already illegal. Certainly the drone operators involved in these forest fire incidents aren’t doing the growing drone industry and their fellow operators any favors.
Title image courtesy of CBS News
Three reasons to be excited about: drones
Much like selfies, drones have a love/hate status with the public. On one hand, they are fun and useful tool for hobbyists and scientists but their popularity has been hampered by privacy and security concerns.
Several large scale public events such as the Super Bowl have announced they are “No Drone Zones” and the reasons are certainly understandable. The highly affordable nature of drones and their ability to carry a payload (either a camera or something more nefarious) can be a major security concern for officials.
While authorities and companies grapple with the complexities of bringing drone services to the market and how to legislate them, it leaves us some time to contemplate the exciting ways that drones could be used in the future.
Transport:
Just this week a Canadian broke the Guinness World Record for the longest hover-board flight standing on a large drone.
Video
World Record Hover Board Attempt
While this is still some way away from being a viable transport alternative, the proof of concept shows that humans, as much as anything else, can be viable cargo for drones.
As we continue to look for viable and more environmentally friendly personalized transport, drones could well hint at a solution.
Conservation:
One of the most inspiring use for drones that I’ve seen in recent months is the Air Shepherd project in Africa where rangers are using drones to help combat poaching of big game animals such as rhinos and elephants.
Faced with a limited budget and vast swathes of land to protect, drones have become a vital tool to help conservationists patrol boundaries, track animals and crack down on illegal hunting and poaching even at night.
Video
Air Shepherd Project
Business:
Companies like Amazon have brought drone delivery into the public conscience and it’s easy to see why they are keen to get the service off the ground. Using drones to deliver goods and services to clients brings a whole raft of new opportunities for businesses and a new world of convenience for purchasers.
Video
Amazon Prime Air
The idea that within moments of placing an order online, whether for a tin of paint or for a pizza, a drone will be sent directly to your exact location carrying your order is nothing short of incredible.
The days of having to stay home to take a delivery look numbered and very soon anything we could need will be just a click away from flying directly to us.
What are the uses for drones that most excite you? Let me know on Twitter or on Facebook.
Title image courtest of The Volt Report
Commercial Use for Drones Gets a Boost from FAA
This past weekend Drones, Data X Conference took place in Santa Cruz, CA where between 550 and 1,000 inventors, investors, regulators and the general public got to see what the future of drones may look like.
The big news from the conference came on Friday when Jim Williams, who is in charge of the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Office, (UAS are drones for the rest of us) told a rapt audience that the FAA is re-considering its “line of sight” mandate. Basically, the line of sight rule means just that — that drones must be in the sight of their operators at all times.
Specifically, the FAA last summer announced a list of ‘do’s and don’ts’ regarding model aircraft, mostly focused on keeping them away from airports and within sight line of the user. The FAA followed this up with proposed regulations this February that would limit flights to daylight and visual-line-of-sight operations. The rule also addresses height restrictions, operator certification, optional use of a visual observer, aircraft registration and marking, and operational limits. (You can read more about it here.)
The line-of-sight rule has been key for businesses. You can imagine the chilling effect this proposed rule had on companies that were viewing drones as a key technology delivery method to add to their services, or, really for a hundred other commercial uses, from real estate to agriculture and more. So, this apparent change of view on the part of the FAA is huge.
“We understand there’s a lot of value in flying out of line of sight and that’s one of the areas we’re looking to get ahead rapidly in the next few years,” Williams said, in his presentation on Friday. (You can see a video from Mashable here.)
This has to be welcome news for those in the commercial food chain, from giant companies like Amazon to small start-ups dreaming up ways to use drones commercially. (Of note, Amazon Prime Air was a sponsor of the event).
If drones can be used safely, there are millions of great commercial and humanitarian uses ahead: from product delivery (including pizzas!) to autonomous personal air transportation via drones (hello Jetsons!), to rescuing lost hikers and delivering life-saving supplies in emergency situations, among those discussed at last week’s conference.
What also strikes me is that many of the same technologies that are coming to self-driving cars will be a way to ensure drone safety as well. Sensors, radar, lasers, cameras, and mapping technology all come into play.
“Every home is going to have a drone pretty soon,” predicted Parimal Keparekar, who works for NASA in air traffic management research, and is quoted in the Santa Cruz Sentinel describing efforts to build a highway in the sky for them. “Right now there is no congestion management problem, but eventually there will be.”
There’s still a lot to be figured out before that day arrives, including more focus on associated privacy and data concerns.
While the FAA works on getting the rules down, NASA Unmanned Aerial Systems announced it will host a UAS Traffic Management Convention, July 28-30 at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field in Mountain View, CA. The focus will be on “low altitude traffic management with reference to policy issues such as privacy, safety and security, emerging markets and international perspectives.” To learn more and register: SVC-AUVSI.org.
Toy drones continue to cause problems
The latest incident involving a drone has more serious implications than buzzing a neighbor’s yard. In January, a drone crashed into a tree on the South Lawn of the White House. Apparently, the drone was small enough to avoid detection by the White House security radar.
The man who was operating the drone is an employee of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. After seeing the story on the news the following day, he contacted officials to confess. He later admitted that he had been drinking.
The point is that drone adventures are getting increasingly (and literally) out of control.
The White House incident comes just days after the Department of Homeland Security held a conference in Arlington, Va., on the dangers that such drones pose to the nation’s critical infrastructure and government facilities.
The New York Times reported that the conference exhibited a DJI Phantom drone — the same type of drone that reportedly crashed at the White House.
Image courtesy of gizmag
However, the drone on display at Homeland Security’s conference had three pounds of fake explosives attached to demonstrate how easy it would be to weaponize. Frightening.
The President said in an interview with CNN that he has instructed federal agencies to examine and address the broader problem and the need for regulations on drone technology.
As the President wisely noted, regarding drones, “We don’t yet have the legal structures and the architecture both globally and within individual countries to manage them the way that we need to.”
Part of the idea for legislation or enforcement, the President said, “is seeing if we can start providing some sort of framework that ensures that we get the good and minimize the bad.”
Legislation and regulation needs to happen soon. Even though it is illegal to fly drones in Washington DC, that appears to be a small deterrent.
Let’s see how this unfolds. There are privacy and security hazards with drones that everyone needs to be aware of, and this incident might spur some real action.
The arrival of toy drones
Drones have landed – as one of the hottest gifts over this past holiday season and one of the biggest hits at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show this past week.
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), as they are also known, are like model airplanes on steroids. They can hover, fly and often come equipped with cameras. They can belong to you or anyone else for under $100 dollars.
The cheap availability and growing capabilities of drones means that there are privacy and safety issues at stake.
We’ve already seen drones experience near misses with aircraft at major airports while unmanned flying cameras are an obvious threat to privacy.
It’s clear that drones are going to be around for a while and that legislation is needed to set reasonable and responsible limitations for recreational drone use.
However, regulation is still very much up in the air, if you’ll pardon the pun.
Who is taking action on drones?
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has issued a list of do’s and don’ts for flying safety regarding model aircraft for recreational use. These mostly focus on keeping them away from flying aircraft, airports and within sight line of the user. (See guidelines here.)
National Parks Service has banned drones from all National Parks, worried that the noise and proximity to wildlife would disturb nesting, migratory, and reproductive habits. The NPS also noted visitor safety was an issue.
Drone industry officials announced that they are teaming up with the government and model aircraft hobbyists to launch a safety campaign, which includes a website (www.knowbeforeyoufly.com) that includes safety tips and FAA regulations.
In the U.K, the Civilian Air Authority has already set protocols, mostly involving flying over congested areas and airspace, and the European Aviation Safety Agency is developing EU-wide safety standards which reportedly will be as high as those for manned aircraft.
Commercial use of drones has become a thorny subject and there is pending legislation in U.S. Congress that might even require commercial drone operators to have pilot licenses.
With all this legislation in the works, it’s clear there’s a lot more to this year’s hot toy story than first meets the eye. And you can bet there’s going to be a lot more to come…
Title image courtesy of firstsing
The drones are coming, what could go wrong?
Continuing from Consumer Electronics Show 2015 here in Las Vegas where we were covering this week the first impresisions of the show and also some lessons that this digital invasion is leaving us. Now, we will approach another interesting topic that involves privacy and new technology: drones.
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