Thread: Domestic Drones
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Old 05-02-2012, 06:55 PM   #11
tw
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Join Date: Jan 2001
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyber Wolf View Post
I guess I'm asking what can the drone do that the standard police helicopter they already use can't.
Reasons why were made obvious decades ago by the oceanographer Ballard. During a deep sea dive, he suggested his peers view something interesting. Then turned to see them watching in the TV. Suddenly dawns on Ballard. A worst way to discover something is using a man. Machines do this better. And will only continue to better replace men in more tasks. Anything that can put a man distant, safe, and in an unrestricted environment increases performance and results.

Airplanes (like submarines and spacecraft) are significantly compromised as soon as a man is inside. Man requires too many support functions. Most of an airplane is devoted to supporting its man. Man is becoming inferior to machines in most relevant tasks. For surveillance, an unmanned vehicle replacing human eyes with cameras and instruments will always be superior. Because a man without using those machines is already inferior.

Man is only onboard if a reaction time demands it. Even that 'man on board' advantage is quickly disappearing.

In surveillance, quieter, operation at least four times longer, smaller (can even fly lower without detection), more flexible, can sustain much greater risks, invasive, etc. So superior are unmanned aircraft that we now have serious privacy issues that will probably end up in the Supreme Court.

Rules for airspace to support unmanned vehicles require major changes. Therefore airspace approved for unmanned vehicles will take time to develop.
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