Shiny!

[clovehitched]

I want one of these:

That is all.

Originally posted at http://auntysarah.dreamwidth.org/226084.html - you can comment here or there.

Comments

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

I am amused by your choice of icon.

(I also want a drone)

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

That's my "mischievous and playful" icon :-D

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

Aah I'd gone with the "shiny new toy" connection.

[moonspark.livejournal.com]

Uh, SEXY

[krissie-r.livejournal.com]

Can I have one? I don't need one, but I really want one!

[(Anonymous)]

Nah they will never fly. Where's the wings? :o)

(BTW I have a pilots licence and you will NEVER ever get me up in anything that hovers unless it has two engines)

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

I've got 40 hours in a Cessna 152, but never got as far as taking the skills test.

Pity really. Did solo navigation and everything.

[(Anonymous)]

You must have been very close to taking the final practicals; Go on - go for it girl!!! Much better than other shiny things. And before any one says piloting is not a girly thing; there were 5 of us girls who passed out within a few months of each other.

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

The problem was having to book lessons weeks ahead because the flying school was so busy, and then they'd get cancelled due to the weather, so I was spending a whole lot of money to stay still.

If I were to do it again I'd have to start from scratch more or less, and I don't really have the motivation or funds to get into that.

[darkwaterfairy.livejournal.com]

Neat!

...buuuuut after watching the vid, also kinda scary what with being a spydrone and all. I can see occasion where a user may end up with an "inoperable" gadget, after pissing me off / scaring me with their anonymous-but-ominous buzzing spy.

Also, Merseyside Police got bitchslapped for using their one just this week (BBC story);

"All unmanned aircraft, not just ones that weigh 15lb (7kg) or more, now have to be licensed to conduct aerial surveillance work after the law changed at the start of the year.

They need CAA permission to fly within 164ft (50m) of people and within 492ft (150m) of buildings.

The CAA said any breach in regulations, which came into force on 1 January 2010, would be "treated seriously"."

BTW, The Beeb's pic is wrong, The plod's one isn't a fat bastard, but is still notably unmarked...

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

All unmanned aircraft, not just ones that weigh 15lb (7kg) or more, now have to be licensed to conduct aerial surveillance work after the law changed at the start of the year

Will just have to be careful to use it for recreation rather than surveillance.

[darkwaterfairy.livejournal.com]

Ok, myself and twiggy_j just had an academic disagreement as to if the gadget you posted would be covered by said CAA remit. I say ye, she sez neh.

Poking about... we get The Air Navigation Order 2009 (the mentioned just-activated regs). Which, to put briefly, says (in S.166+167) "Small unmanned aircraft
" can be flown anywhere bar airports and >400ft, while "Small unmanned surveillance aircraft" need to be licensed at all times. And what makes a small unmanned aircraft of the surveillance variety?

"(5) In this article ‘a small unmanned surveillance aircraft’ means a small unmanned aircraft which
is equipped to undertake any form of surveillance or data acquisition."

Ergo, I'd say this gadget can only be used by CAA licensed peeps, full stop. Don't pass Court.

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

I note with interest that all those hobbyists attaching digital cameras to their RC planes are not being prosecuted.

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

I further note that something which will primarily be used indoors by many people is none of their damned business.

Actually, since this thing is running Linux, I wonder how long it is before someone makes one that uses some sort of machine intelligence to be autonomous. That way it could fly itself to where it was going, using GPS, do stuff and then come home. That genuinely would be useful for surveillance, because it's not limited by the rather short range of wifi.

[murdercake.livejournal.com]

When are they coming out with one you can ride ;)

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

Aren't they called helicopters?

[murdercake.livejournal.com]

Oh Sarah, you can't fit a helicopter through your neighbor's window!

Well. You could. Wouldn't be much left of the window, i imagine.

I want a smaller one I can ride on and control from an iPhone!

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

Hmm, methinks battery tech has some way to go :-/

[darkwaterfairy.livejournal.com]

Why do you think American unis have been perfecting Tesla's wireless electrical transmission of late ;)

[krissie-r.livejournal.com]

They have!? Ooooooooh! Awesomeness!

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

I can just see it. Proud owner flies hir newest toy into the living room. Kitty wakes up and says "BAT! KILL!!!". Vet bill does not include cost of replacing now-mangled toy...

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

This is why cats are evil and should be replaced by snakes.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

There are snakes which predate on bats of course :op

Message for you on your SL email account btw!

[zoe.robinson.myopenid.com (from livejournal.com)]

Fly a helicopter with your 'phone? There's an app for that.

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, that looks fuuuun.

I want one too

[stacyjintheway.livejournal.com]

How much do they cost?

Re: I want one too

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

They haven't said yet.

Re: I want one too

[stacyjintheway.livejournal.com]

I am a gadget freak and I have to have one. Thanks for posting this!!