Drones

[it]

Originally Posted by tw

The need could not be more obvious. Licensing (for the same reason automobiles and drivers are licensed) is desperately needed.

Except that drones already have the problems driver licencing is going to be facing: Handling the fact a lot of the time your driver is a software.

So I think maybe going the opposite route is better:
Software standards.



They can include automatically taking away control within certain situations - regulations are a lot easier to code then to teach and certify for. For instance if a no-fly zone is placed because an emergency helicopter has to go through (standard signal), it could require to leave the area automatically if the pilot themselves don't leave it within a certain warning time.
It could even include things such as restricted no fly boxes around roads organized by certain height that would function as berriers for both human piloted and software piloted drones.
And for strictly software piloted, it could be used for giving commercial drones designated air routes windows the same way we do for for airplanes and satellite orbits, which would mean a pizza delivery drone doesn't risk collision with a fire safety inspection drone.
Perhaps most importantly, it could require a certain mean of identification. Because when it comes to criminal activities drones can take part of, from invasion to privacy to actual violence (explosives in a pizza box?), you kind of want that.
It can also be used for... *Ring* sec, I have a call. "Who is this? Oh, the Oceania BB offices? You are interested in my ideas? Why thank you... I will be on my way to your offices in Airstrip One immediately".