The growth of UAVs and the risks it poses to the public
UAVs are used for a number of civil and commercial purposes, from photography and videography, surveying and mapping, inspections, transportation to network swarms where they work together to complete a task. This article looks at some of the current commercial applications for UAVs and the risk that the growth of UAVs poses to the public.
Agriculture and Wildlife
UAVs can be used to monitor many aspects of agriculture. In addition to offering aerial inspection of crops, they can help inspect soil erosion and other parameters that are difficult to observe from the ground. The Japanese were the first to use this technology for agricultural purposes. There are many types of UAVs that are used in the agricultural sector today. In addition to agriculture, they can also prove very useful in forestry. They can take photos of the forests as well as the wildlife present in them to keep a constant count of the animals that live there. Additionally, they can be used to help put out forest fires that may break out from time to time.
Earth sciences
Although various satellites are being used to study different aspects of the earth, aerial surveys are still needed to fully understand weather phenomena. The use of UAVs in this field can help in this regard and make it much easier for scientists to predict climate and weather changes more accurately.
Security and Law Compliance
Borders, as well as internal security, can be taken care of very well with UAV technology. They can also play a crucial role in law enforcement. They can be used to help police catch criminals and collect evidence, search and rescue, surveillance, and more.
Commercial section
UAVs can replace manned vehicles in the commercial field, as some services have little need for human involvement, including transporting goods from one place to another with ease.
Despite all the promise that UAVs have shown, the commercial use of these aerial vehicles is still in its early stages of development. You may not see transportation activities being carried out with the help of UAVs in the near future due to the risks they pose.
Security risks related to the transport of unmanned aerial vehicles
It is the duty of the national airspace authority to ensure that the airspace remains safe. However, the transportation of UAVs poses a great threat to the safety of the airspace, as it is extremely difficult to control the flight pattern of the drone, especially when flying in an area where there are multiple aircraft carrying passengers and cargo. The following are some of the security risks that can arise due to the transport of UAVs.
air collisions
The risks of air collisions are increased when an airborne vehicle is not operated by a sensible and trained pilot. So when we talk about a UAV that is not controlled by any pilot, the chances of a mid-air collision happening are greatly multiplied. While the pilot of a manned aircraft can detect the presence of vehicles flying in its vicinity and quickly take evasive action, a drone cannot make that call unless instructed to do so from the ground. Therefore, UAVs are more likely to be involved in a mid-air collision than piloted aircraft. Unless this security issue is resolved, the future of UAV transportation looks questionable.
ground collisions
It is not only the collision of the UAV with other aircraft in the air that can cause great damage. They can also collide with objects on the ground, causing damage to both people and their property. There is always the possibility that the UAV will go crazy due to loss of signal from the operator or some technical glitch in the system. This will pose a risk of the UAV falling out of the air and crashing in a populated area. This can lead to debris entering homes or people dying as a result of the direct impact. This, however, will depend on various factors such as,
population size
The size of the debris
The reliability of the vehicle.
Device failure history.
system reliability
When it comes to relying on gadgets and gadgets based solely on technology, there is always apprehension due to the history of failure one has seen over the years. Ground-controlled UAVs that are operated with human intelligence can be manipulated while the pilot on the ground makes decisions based on the situation. However, these systems have also been seen to fail and become the leading cause of loss of life during transport. The most common reason for accidents of this type has been the failure of various aircraft parts and machinery. Therefore, when it comes to leaving decision-making in the hands of machines that only work according to pre-set instructions, the risk of accidents is greatly increased. A lot of research and analysis will be needed to produce a system that is reliable in the future. However, as of now the use of UAVs is still under observation and it will be many years before they share the airspace with manned aircraft.
insurance problems
Getting insurance is also an important issue as people find it extremely difficult to insure their UAVs. The main problem cited by many insurance providers is the susceptibility of the system to failure. In addition to this, safety issues related to UAVs is another concern for which insurance companies are reluctant to insure UAVs.
Privacy and security issues
Privacy is a major concern associated with drone use, as no one wants UAVs peeking into their homes as they fly by. In addition, the UAVs themselves are not very secure and can be hacked at any time. If a drone is hacked by terrorists, then they can use it for their ulterior motives, risking the lives of millions.
So because of all these issues and concerns, governments around the world are reluctant to go ahead with UAV transportation for now.