Written By: Natasha Sidek
The advancement of technology in the world does not surprise us anymore. Drones have become common. A drone is called as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). It is a remote-controlled vehicle that has capability to fly. It comes in many shapes and sizes with prices ranging from USD45 (RM200) all the way up to hundreds of dollars.
This unmanned aircraft has been widely used in other countries including America, Australia, Canada, China, France, United Kingdom, Malaysia and many more. When it first came out in the market, people had questions on the purpose of using drones and the issue of privacy upon its usage. Groups or individuals basically use drones to transport goods, save lives and to take aerial photography or for videography purposes.
Drones are legal in many countries including Malaysia. There is no permit to own and use one unless it is a drone above 20kg then the owner has to apply for a permit/document on
it. There are certain areas that are non-fly areas for drones such as the airspace of airports, high-rise buildings, and across the palace and army bases. Drones are strictly prohibited to fly across these airspace.
Across the globe, there are various countries like France, the U.S., Japan and Thailand that enacted laws pertaining to the use of drones. In France, Paris has been declared a no-fly zone for drones and if you are caught flying a drone there, you could be fined with a 75000 Euro and a maximum of five years in jail. While in the U.S., drones are only allowed for recreational purposes and drones cannot be flown higher than 122m and the use of drones for commercial purposes is largely disallowed without the approval from the FAA.
Nowadays we can see many individuals or groups using drones in their activities. But the questions of air safety have risen among the public. How do they impact privacy? The
drones might fly across prohibited areas or private lands of people including our homes. The videos made from the drones might be incursions on privacy of other people.
Fortunately, NASA claimed that not all persistent drones impose threats to privacy. Drones are seen as new tools for studying hurricanes and other natural phenomenon. It is also well-known that there must be some pros and cons of any new technologies invented and introduced to us. The privacy issue can be solved when the legal system on it is implemented for the safety of the public as well.
Typical surveying of natural disasters like floods, earthquakes and landslides involves many tools to measure affected areas and it takes a significant amount of time and is also dangerous to mankind. The use of drones in situations like these is believed to be a new method to measure disasters by utilizing the high resolution images that can be captured by drone technology. As in Malaysia, a drone had also been used to help flood victims by sending them goods and monitoring the surrounding situation. To view and point out the positive side of drones; it can be seen that the future of drones as humanitarian tools is getting brighter and more promising day by day.
Video Credit: YouTube Video Source
Video Credit: YouTube Video Source