Author: mecicon

CA: Governor Brown vetoes SB142

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SB142

The idea of Senate Bill 142 has caused much pain in California mass letter writing campaigns ensued and it seems they might have worked!

In July, the California Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 9-to-1 to pass SB 142, a bill that would ban drones from flying over private property at distances under 350 feet without consent.

“Drones have a lot of helpful and extremely innovative uses. But invading our privacy and property without permission shouldn’t be among them,” said Democratic state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, who wrote the bill.

The AMA ran one of the letter writing campaigns, here’s what Rich Hanson had to say:-

 

This was the shape of it

SB 142, Jackson. Civil law: unmanned aerial vehicles.
Existing federal law, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, provides for the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, into the national airspace system by September 30, 2015. Existing federal law requires the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to develop and implement operational and certification requirements for the operation of public unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace system by December 31, 2015.
Existing law deems the detriment caused by wrongful occupation of real property to be the value of the use of the property for the time of the wrongful occupation, the reasonable cost of repair or restoration of the property, and the costs of recovering the possession.
This bill would extend liability for wrongful occupation of real property and damages to a person who operates an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system, as defined, less than 350 feet above ground level within the airspace overlaying the real property, without the express permission of the person or entity with the legal authority to grant access or without legal authority.

DIGEST KEY

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal Committee: no   Local Program: no

BILL TEXT

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1.

Section 1708.83 is added to the Civil Code, to read:

1708.83.

(a) A person wrongfully occupies real property and is liable for damages pursuant to Section 3334 if, without express permission of the person or entity with the legal authority to grant access or without legal authority, he or she operates an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system less than 350 feet above ground level within the airspace overlaying the real property.

(b) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Unmanned aircraft” means an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.
(2) “Unmanned aircraft system” means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements, including communication links and the components that control the unmanned aircraft, that are required for the pilot in command to operate safely and efficiently in the national airspace system.
(c) This section shall not be construed to impair or limit any otherwise lawful activities of law enforcement personnel or employees of governmental agencies or other public or private entities that may have the right to enter land by operating an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system within the airspace overlaying the real property of another, including the right to use private lands acquired pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 1009.
(d) Nothing in this section is intended to limit the rights and defenses available at common law under a claim of liability for wrongful occupation of real property.

SEC. 2.

Section 21012 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:

21012.

“Aircraft” means any manned contrivance used or designed for navigation of, or flight in, the air requiring certification and registration as prescribed by federal statute or regulation. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, manned lighter-than-air balloons and ultralight vehicles as defined in the regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (14 C.F.R. Part 103), whether or not certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration, shall not be considered to be aircraft for purposes of this part. “Aircraft” shall not include an unmanned aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.

As drones proliferate, so do weapons to counter them

Posted on by mecicon

Sept 9, 2015 10:21 a.m. ET

The unmanned vehicles can pose a threat, prompting companies to develop lasers and jammers
Amazon.com Inc.
Amazon.com described its planned Prime Air drone-delivery service in July, which included sending a seven-page letter to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Jurica Dujmovic
Columnist

Drones are amazing. They come in all shapes and sizes, and serve a variety of purposes.

Ever since Amazon.com AMZN, +0.91% first suggested using drones for delivery service, I’ve been enticed to learn more about these flying automatons and explore other ways they could be used to improve our lives and make things generally more fun and exciting. It’s been estimated that by 2020, around 30,000 of these unmanned aircraft systems will be licensed to fly over U.S. soil.

While many of them will be used for security tasks, such keeping the borders safe by monitoring illicit activities, assisting with search-and-rescue operations or simply for making breathtaking aerial photos, the fact is that not all drones will be welcome everywhere. Aside from embedded algorithms and code, drones don’t have minds of their own and only behave as well as they are programmed to. Although the Federal Aviation Administration is committed to regulating drone usage, there is still a high possibility that in the near future drones may pose a danger.

So how exactly could someone defend themselves against such a threat?

You could shoot down the offending drone. A company called Snake River Shooting Products has created special shotgun ammunition, optimized for maximum destruction of small drones. You could also use various radar jammers to try to stop communication with a drone’s pilot. That would not only be tricky, but it also might be illegal.

Or you could fry them with a laser.

You’d probably have to be working for the government or military to legally do so, but having a laser to shoot down drones would be pretty awesome. Boeing Co. BA, +0.57% has developed a futuristic drone-protection system, called the Compact Laser Weapon System, and is roughly the size of an old-school TV camera. I mentioned its bigger cousin in my article about futuristic weapons a few months ago.

Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System can be used to take out an unwanted drone.

The device is portable and can be set up quickly, either by technicians or government officials. Its purpose is to protect the airspace over secure locations, such as military and government facilities and other no-fly zones. Don’t be fooled by the size of this device. Its 2kW infrared laser took less than two seconds to penetrate the hull of an unmanned areal vehicle (UAV), setting it aflame just moments later. The device will be ready for market production in a year or two.

Like them or not, drones are here to stay, whether we choose to ignore them, shoot them down or pilot them. There is one other area where drones are becoming increasingly prevalent: in the military, or more precisely, the Navy.

Of 273 ships the U.S. navy owns, only 10 are fleet aircraft carriers. Those, of course, carry helicopters, airplanes and, along with them, drones. Smaller warships, such as destroyers, are not fit for housing drones, since military class UAVs are wider and larger than their hobbyist cousins and, as such, require more space than smaller ships can accommodate.

All of this could soon change, thanks to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) program which, when finalized, would allow drone aircraft “to take off and land from very confined spaces in elevated sea states and … to transition to efficient long-duration cruise missions.” Its ultimate goal would be “to make it much easier, quicker and less expensive for the Defense Department to deploy persistent [surveillance] and strike capabilities almost anywhere in the world.”

DARPA plans to roll out TERN in three phases over about 40 months, culminating in a full-scale launch-and-recovery demonstration.

As you can see, there is, and will be, plenty more to say about drones — both military and civil ones — and other futuristic weapons and devices, as more countries get their hands on the technology and develop drone laws. I believe they will change our lives for better and worse alike, just like any other man-made device.

What is your stance on drones in general? What about drone warfare? Please let me know in the comments section below.

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/as-drones-proliferate-so-do-weapons-to-counter-them-2015-09-09

DJI Camera Announcement Photos Leak Ahead of Launch – DJI Inspiration?

Posted on by mecicon

September 10, 2015

Today DJI started the teaser campaign for a new product announcement that is to be launched officially in about 13 hours from time this post goes live and all we learn from it is that it’s going to be called Inspiration, I assume DJI Inspiration.

dji inspiration leak

 

As DJI is becoming the Apple of quadcopters, lot’s of speculation emerges around the time new product launches as it was the case with the DJI Inspire 1 leak last year before the official announcement.

This time images on Chinese DJI related site called SB-DJI emerged show what apparently is a new camera addition the Inspire 1 range. If I am not mistaken it is the same site as the one that leaked the Inspire 1 photos last year.  Now as we do not know if this actually is the Inspiration product that DJI is teasing us with, we can only hope that the new camera that appears to sport removable lenses actually IS what we will be seeing shortly. The other feature that seems imminent is that this time DJI is announcing a product that is modular so we might just be able to use it on existing Inspire 1 quads.

So Is This DJI Inspiration? The product to launch in like 13 hours?

Anyhow, delve into the images below and feel free to speculate on what the partly black Phantom could be in the background on the last one :).

DJI inspiration dji camera announcement leak

DJI inspiration dji camera announcement leak

DJI inspiration dji camera announcement leak

DJI inspiration dji camera announcement leak

DJI inspiration dji camera announcement leak

Aaaaand the really interesting one. What the heck could the partly black Phantom be in the background? Any guesses?

dji inspiration dji camera product leak

http://www.dronethusiast.com/dji-camera-announcement-photos-leak-ahead-of-launch-dji-inspiration/

New technology makes archaeological discoveries easier

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By

Savanna Sorensen

A group of students and employees at BYU implemented new technology to enhance research in a recent discovery of Indian ruins fifteen minutes away from the BYU campus.

BYU anthropology professor Michael Searcy has been analyzing an excavation site of the Fremont Indians using technology such as flying drones and new software programs that store data at a much faster rate than writing everything down manually. Searcy said that research has been greatly enhanced with the new technological advancements.

“I never thought that I would see myself do this,” Searcy said. “It’s so new and so innovative.”

During the past two years, Searcy and research assistant Scott Ure have been working on the excavation site that is located on the Hinckley base near Utah Lake and the Provo River.

During the summer of 2015, Searcy, Ure and several BYU students were able to work with different kinds of tools so they could enhance their research. One of the most useful tools was a flying drone, which searcy called a Phantom Drone.

The drone flies over the site and scans the excavation site using aerial coverage with video and photos, giving more information about the structure and landscape of the former pit house.

Daniel King, one of the graduate students that worked with the drones personally, said he was able to see the benefits of using a drone for his research.

Meagan Larsen/BYU

Ure also worked on the excavation site in Fremont. He added that the aerial imagery from the drones gives a better vantage point, rather than using a ladder or an actual plane. One of the other significant things that enhances their research is the way data is collected and documented.

An app called Excavator makes it easy to collect data and transfer the data from a tablet or iPad to a server that stores all the data collected from each researcher. When the data is stored, it is accessible to everyone, making it easier for the team to analyze and conclude its findings.

Ure added that the new app allows them to search exactly what they need.

“Remote Wi-Fi helps transfer data from our tablets to our servers which improves speed and data collection,” Ure said.

Ure and Searcy have continued to find different tools to improve their research in the past 10 years.

“Every year brings new advances in technology,” Searcy said.

Currently they are developing a way to scan historical sites using thermal imaging on the drones. Doing so will allow any researcher to create a 3D surface using the drones.

When asked about the significance of his research on this particular Indian site, Searcy specified how close it is to BYU campus. In the span of 15 minutes, any BYU student can drive and see the Fremont Indian Site.

Professor Searcy gave an excited response to all the new technology.

“The development of new drone technology is giving archaeologists and anthropologists new ways to study the earth’s history,” Searcy said.

– See more at: http://universe.byu.edu/2015/09/08/new-technology-makes-archaeological-discoveries-easier/#sthash.Z2K7DvD7.dpuf

http://universe.byu.edu/2015/09/08/new-technology-makes-archaeological-discoveries-easier/

US: How To Use Your Drone For Business.

Posted on by mecicon
CommLawBlog details three steps to get FAA approval for commercial drone use
September 9, 2015

ARLINGTON, VA.—Many drone enthusiasts probably took some time this past Labor Day weekend flying their unmanned aircraft systems for recreation. Recreational use is the primary way for people to utilize UAS as the FAA makes people go through detailed processes to use them for anything else. Or so we thought.

CommLawBlog, which focuses on communication laws, recently posted a story detailing just how you can get FAA approval to use your UAS commercially. With the FAA still working on new rules for commercial UAS use, people can work their way to approval in three steps.

The first step is acquiring a Section 333 Exemption. The FAA’s 333 Exemption process is a temporary process until the agency issues permanent rules. It expedites the process by allowing would-be UAS operators to obtain both an Airworthiness Certificate and a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization in a single process. In a nutshell, the process requires that the user show that a UAS is airworthy and the proposed operation will satisfy the FAA’s temporary rules.

One thing that cannot be abbreviated, though, is the airman certification standards. All users operating commercial drones in the National Airspace System must have FAA airman certification. The FAA does, however, allow those with sport or recreation pilot certificates fly UAS commercially. In addition to a Section 333 Exemption and an airman certificate, users must register their UAS with the FAA.

Other requirements include that all UAS weigh less than 55 pounds and they do not fly within certain distances of airports, otherwise restricted airspace, or in certain densely populated areas.

This process is temporary, as the Section 333 Exemption will no longer be applicable as soon as the FAA passes its new rules. According to CommLawBlog, if you were to apply for a Section 333 Exemption now, you could be approved to operate a commercial UAS by early 2016.

http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/0002/how-to-use-your-drone-for-business/276967