The Breakdown of Drone Laws

While the FAA’s regulations on commercial drones are still being finalized, the federal government does require commercial drones to abide by certain rules. These FAA-registered UAVs can’t weigh less than 55 pounds or fly higher than 400 feet in altitude. Flying over 100 miles per hour is also prohibited. They must only fly during daylight hours, including half an hour before sunrise and after sunset. Finally, a commercial drone’s operator can’t be younger than 16 years old, and they must have a valid flying certificate. Beyond these federal parameters, Drone Laws are decided at the state level, so they can vary wildly from place to place.

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Privacy Concerns for American Citizens

According to a 1942 ruling, if you own a house, your property rights extend to a height of 83 feet above your roof. Of course, they weren’t dealing with commercial drones 70 years ago. The law came about when a farmer said that military aircrafts were upsetting his chickens. Now, the times have changed, but the rules haven’t caught up.

These days, many homeowners feel that commercial drones are an intrusion on their privacy. But unless a drone is flying above a military base, a national park, a federal building, or an airport, it’s free to go wherever it pleases. Certain states offer protection to their citizens. If you can prove that a commercial drone was harassing you, either by flying over your home or taking unauthorized pictures, it’s possible to make a case against the company. However, it’s often difficult to gather adequate proof to convince a court.

Hopefully, by the end of 2017, Drone Laws will have caught up with today’s world. With big companies like Google and Amazon pushing for greater freedom in their drone usage, it’s likely that the FAA will make changes to its legislation. But until then, American citizens are left with a lot of unanswered questions regarding their privacy and the future of the USA’s commercial drones.

Snap’s first major project was Snapchat Spectacles, which are sunglasses that allow you to record short clips of video. These videos are then sent wirelessly back to the Snapchat app, for you to send to friends and family. They allow others to see the world as you do, and to capture moments that you might not be able to capture quickly enough with a phone or camera.

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Snap is Working on a Drone
According to The New York Times, Snap is now working on a drone that can take pictures and record video from a bird’s eye view. Like Snapchat Spectacles, the drone is expected to then wirelessly transmit photos and video back to the app. You can then share the videos or photos with other users, or save them to your device.

Little information has leaked about the drones, however. It is still unknown how serious this project is — it could be released to the public, or it could not be. If it is released, it’s still unclear as to when it could possibly become available for consumers to purchase. Still, it is likely to be successful among Snapchat’s main user base — teenagers.

Snap’s Success
Either way, Snap is moving in the right direction by expanding its offerings. Snapchat has had a lot of success over the years, especially among teenagers. More than two billion messages are sent via Snapchat per day, and the average user opens the app about 18 times per day. They’ve had so much success that Facebook and Instagram have both introduced many features that mimic Snapchat features. In other news, The New York Times also reported that Snap’s stock has gone up. The company is now worth almost $25 billion.

The Future of Snap
In addition to drones, Snapchat is also very interested in the future of augmented reality. Snap already considers Snapchat to be a form of augmented reality, by offering users the chance to add amusing filters, such as dog ears or a flower crown, to a selfie. Snap’s CEO believes that augmented reality should be utilized for a more effective way to communicate and that it offers much more than a simple photograph.

Paging George Jetson

While several companies (like Airbus) have passenger drones in development, the first commercial prototype debuted at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Made by the Chinese UAV company EHang, the electric-powered quadcopter EHang 184 is over four feet high, weighs a little less than 450 pounds, and will carry a single passenger at 60 mph for almost half an hour. After you climb in through its gullwing doors, all you have to do is input your destination and enjoy the ride.

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Talk About Getting a Lift

At the 2016 CES, most industry watchers thought the EHang prototype was more of a marketing piece to attract attention to the company’s more conventional drones as commercial applications were seen to be years away. However, in the summer of 2017, the United Arab Emirates will begin offering an air taxi service via the 184 in Dubai.

The 184 being deployed will carry one average-sized adult with a small suitcase. It has a flight range of about 30 miles, automatically choosing the optimal route to its destination. There is no option for the passenger to take control; however, the 184 has redundant, failsafe software to avoid midair collisions and deal with mechanical failures. Plus, flights will be monitored by a Dubai Roads and Transportation Authority central control room.

Liability Concerns

Much like the ethical and liability concerns which are a part of the conversation about AVs, the same is true for UAVs. If an emergency landing is required — or a crash is imminent — is the primary concern of the UAV software to protect passengers or minimize loss of life on the ground?

For example, crash landing on a motorcycle would minimize UAV passenger injuries as opposed to hitting a semi-trailer truck. However, the crash would almost certainly kill the motorcycle’s rider as opposed to hitting a sturdier vehicle which provides more protection to its driver and any passengers. When liability is to be determined, is it the passenger, controller, software, or manufacturer who is ultimately responsible?

Once thought to be years away, passenger drones are arriving more quickly than expected. However, a drone with the ability to carry passengers doesn’t automatically resolve all the related safety, security, and legal issues. These issues will inevitably be ironed out as passenger drones become a ubiquitous presence in the sky.

There are a few details to consider when buying a drone, based on your personal needs. Advanced camera capabilities, cost, Android control features, and more can factor into the right drone purchase. We’ve found a select few drones for under $500 to peruse, so from photo-savvy artist to speed racer, any pilot at any proficiency can enjoy a remote-controlled drone.

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Parrot BEBOP Drone

This drone is a good starting point for those entering the drone market but also desiring a high-quality experience. It features stabilizers for clear photos despite a wobbly body, and can be piloted from any handheld device. It captures pristine images and videos with a 14-megapixel screen, and is compatible with apps such as Free Flight Pro and DJI Assistant. At a cool $400, this flying machine is in the middle of the cost spectrum, but on the higher end of our price range.

Holybro Shuriken 180

Racing drones are in a whole other category for purchase. One of the best and most affordable drones on the market is the Holybro Shuriken 180, which starts at $225 on select sites. This flyer has a combined PDB (power distribution board) with its FCB (flight controller board) and its  other necessary components, making replacements relatively simple and quick. The antennae can be placed directly on the main system or on the side of the Shrunken 180, based on preference. This drone is great for anyone that wants to go fast, and its durability won’t break the bank.

Sky Viper Video Drone

This fun little drone features an HD camera with a lightweight, sturdy body that can take pictures with a 720p camera and can record up to 20 minutes of video footage. The Sky Viper is perfect for tricks and dives, and the price is far from a deterrent; at just $89.99 through leading competitors, this is one of the cheapest finds that will still deliver the quintessential drone experience.

Cheerson CX-10 Mini

Lastly, this tiny flyer is perfect for beginning pilots. This option might seem low-tech, but the CX-10 Mini Quadcopter has the flight power to propel itself at a few different speeds. It has a shorter flight time and charge time overall, but at $15, this is a great indulgence for gifts, or parents that don’t want to break the bank for their child’s first drone.

Why it Still Might Be a Dream
Currently, there are two major factors that suppliers take into account when deciding shipping costs: route density and drop size. When companies consider route density, they try to maximize the number of deliveries a truck can make on one route. Drop size means the quantity of product being dropped off during an entire delivery cycle. That’s why to maximize profit, suppliers either try to make lots of deliveries in one route, or go to the location where they would drop off the most.

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Right now a delivery truck can make a 120 stops a day to deliver thousands of packages. A drone wouldn’t make sense for this type of work because right now a drone can only deliver one package before it needs to go back to its’ homebase and recharge. We might need to wait for more technological advances before it becomes economically feasible to use drones for all deliveries.

The Reality
For small singular packages in a lot of different locations, using a car to go on many different routes is time consuming and expensive. Amazon has been testing out a drone that can fly up to fifteen miles. Because eighty-six percent of Amazon’s packages are under five pounds, drones would be perfect for delivering these small objects. In addition, for retail superstore Walmart, about seventy percent of their customers live within a five mile radius of their store location. This would make recharging fast and easy. In these type of situations, small packages close to warehouses/stores, drones could be making a more immediate impact into our shopping lives.

The Verdict? Improvements in shipping quality are on the horizon. With this new technology, that pair of sneakers you’ve been eyeing could be at your doorstep in time for your daily afternoon yoga class.  Happy Shopping!

There are many restrictions attached to drone use, but a number of organizations do not have to obey these rules. Drones can perform a variety of functions: they might serve as a type of camera, a racing toy, or a video camera. They may include Bluetooth or built-in GPS technology. But with this popularity comes more than just privacy concerns. It presents another hacking opportunity, and it’s a lot easier than you might think.

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Despite continuous concern for drone security over the past several years, consumer demand led to the early release of commercial drones. These drones are incredibly vulnerable to security threats. Despite this, sales are projected to increase exponentially over the next several years. But commercial drones aren’t the only drones at risk. Companies like Amazon want to eventually use drones to deliver merchandise.

Police forces are using drones to combat crime, utilizing them for tasks such as tracking suspects and exploring dangerous crime scenes. Even though these drones are much more expensive, they are still vulnerable to hackers. Drone security is a major concern that will only grow in the coming years.

How Drones Can Be Hacked
Not that long ago, several graduate students from John Hopkins University proved just how easy it is to hack a commercial drone. They did so by taking control of a drone from a laptop. They showed that they could cause a drone to crash by sending it too many commands, or too much data, at once. They were even able to convince the drone that it was giving itself certain commands. Ultimately, they showed that once a hacker has control of a drone, they could use it for their own agenda, destroy it, or even steal it. For a device that costs more than $500, this isn’t information that should be ignored. Hopefully in the coming years, drone security will drastically improve.

How to Protect Your Devices
The ability to hack drones reminds us that we need to protect our devices against malicious threats. Nearly one million new malware threats are created per day. Download PSafe Total for your Android device and PSafe Total Windows for your PC to protect your devices against malicious attacks 24/7.

The Drone

The Parrot AR. Drone and AR.Drone 2.0 mostly fly themselves. Using sensors that help the drone stabilize itself and take off and land more easily, the drone helps anyone fly it without too much frustration. If you lose Wi-Fi connectivity, the drone locks its position.

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Additionally, the propellers cut out if you accidentally crash the drone. You won’t hurt the drone unless you do something really crazy to it: it’s made from foam and plastic. The drones also let you record video that’s sent to your phone using your Wi-Fi connection after the drone lands. You can then upload the videos your drone has taken to YouTube or share pictures using Picasa.

The App

The app is compatible with both the Parrot and the AR.Drone 2.0. Paired with your drone of choice, the app gives you all the tools you need to fly. You control the drone’s direction by tilting your phone in certain directions, and when you release control, the drone stabilizes. The app also comes with an Absolute Control piloting mode for beginners that can be adjusted as you become more and more familiar with flying your drone.

Getting Started

Here’s how to get started with your new drone and its app.

1. Charge the battery and install it into your drone.
2. Put on the drone’s outdoor or indoor frame.
3. Download the Ar.FreeFlight app onto your phone.
4. Connect your phone to the AR.Drone Wi-Fi network.
5. Launch the app.
6. The app will connect to the drone and the camera will start transmitting images.
7. Your drone is ready for take-off!