WASHINGTON -- The drones are coming. Not this year or next, but by the end of 2015 the skies above America could be home to swarms of unmanned aircraft doing jobs like crop-dusting, disaster response -- and surveillance.
Under a law passed by Congress last year, the FAA has less than three years to develop a way drones can share airspace with planes and helicopters, ultimately paving the way for thousands of drones to fly overhead.
To help do that, the FAA announced Thursday that it would pick six locales for test runs -- and Florida is among the 35 or more competitors expected to vie for the chance to open its airways as soon as this fall.
"This research will give us valuable information about how best to ensure the safe introduction of this advanced technology into our nation's skies," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement.
Although no money is attached, officials in Florida and elsewhere see the competition as an opportunity to get a jump on the booming drone industry, which is expected to almost double in size from $6.6 billion in global spending now to $11.4 billion in 10 years.
This potential for economic growth ? as well as safety risks posed by drones? will be a subject of a congressional hearing today with witnesses scheduled from both the FAA and NASA.
"I am convinced this is a major economic opportunity for the state," said Frank DiBello, head of Space Florida, the quasi-government agency leading the state's bid.
Space Florida's $1.4 million pitch to win one of the six slots is expected to include proposals to use the shuttle landing facility at KSC for testing, establishing "corridors" so that drones could safely fly between Florida cities and leaning on the state's growing drone industry.
Though DiBello would not reveal many details, Florida goes into the contest with several built-in advantages.
Areas of restricted airspace in Florida, such as the bubble surrounding Kennedy Space Center, are being touted as prime test sites. The state's expansive agricultural industry provides a good business case for drone usage -- as unmanned aircraft can monitor crops and help farmers decide when to pick produce like strawberries.
Space Florida also says it's developing a "code of conduct" for drone operations that's intended to assuage privacy and other concerns. But the agency has provided few details.
Growing drone usage -- both abroad and domestically -- has fostered deep unease across the political spectrum. Drones' role in killing terrorist suspects and civilians overseas is worrisome to human rights activists, and the fact that they could be used ? by law enforcement or businesses -- to discreetly spy from overhead has triggered opposition from the ACLU and libertarians.
A new bill introduced in the U.S. House this week attempts to address these concerns by limiting the ability of business and government to use drones for surveillance.
"We don't have time to wait until 2030 when there are 30,000 drones in the sky," said the sponsor, U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas.
The issue also has caught the notice of the state Legislature, where a bill is advancing that would prohibit use of surveillance drones even by law-enforcement agencies, unless they got a warrant or faced an emergency situation, such as a hostage crisis.
"Currently our privacy laws are not strong enough to ensure that this new technology will be used responsibly and consistently with our democratic values," said Ron Bilbao, of ACLU Florida.
A handful of public agencies already have drones.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office is one of about 350 public agencies nationwide awarded a drone certificate by the FAA. Sheriff Jerry Demings said he hopes to have his department's two small aircraft operational by this summer ? though he needs approval from the Orange County Commission first.
Demings has said his office would use the drones only in "unique circumstances," such as a hostage threat, a chemical spill or a missing person emergency. However, OCSO Capt. Michael A. Fewless told lawmakers recently that the office would also like to use drones for crowd control, at events like football bowl games.
But Ben Gielow, a federal lobbyist with the Association For Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, said privacy fears are misplaced.
office space shell houston open mega millions winners anthony davis palm sunday toure patti smith
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.