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Personal Drones: Are They a Public Hazard?

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    I have a DJI phantom
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    I have the first generation version
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    That's the one you can mount to GoPro 2
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    and you can take HD videos
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    it's got about 15 minutes of flight time
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    fly around and have a good time with it
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    These days drones seem to be every where
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    They might seem fun at first
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    But when you hear stories about drones
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    crashing into the side of buildings
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    You might be wondering,
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    are they safe?
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    I mean I think it really depends on the operator
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    and... someone's experience
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    As an avid UAV builder
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    Kon customized his quadcopter
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    and link it to a computer on wheels
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    When you come around the side of the building
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    you know this from walking on the street
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    The wind direction can change very suddenly
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    and it can be a big gust
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    and the altitude is even more so
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    I think there is a good balance
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    that can be struck between
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    safe use and being able to
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    keep the hobby alive
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    Most drones do have CT features build-in
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    If an RC or GPS signal is lost
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    causing the drone to go MIA
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    or if the battery gets low
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    the field safe mode kicks in and sends
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    the drone home autonomously
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    Buried inside
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    electrical speak controllers link the motor
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    to the power source
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    this ensures that the model doesn't burn out
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    and
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    to improve the drone's durability
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    DIY drone enthusiasts are
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    even experimenting with 3D printed hybrid materials
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    It's filament made of
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    a mixture of PLA and
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    carbon fibers
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    so it is very stiff
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    it's easy to work with
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    With all of these design improvements
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    may be Amazon delivery drones
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    could be a real possibility
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    In a densely populated area
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    it's not all that feasible although
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    ...from a logistic stand point
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    if you had a fulfillment center
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    you know...
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    two blocks away
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    and you had a radius says
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    you're going to deliver within
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    it's actually very feasible
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    This means that in the near future
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    there might be more drones lurking in the mist
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    For Scientific American
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    I'm Theresa Chong
Title:
Personal Drones: Are They a Public Hazard?
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Video Language:
English
Team:
Scientific American
Project:
Misc. Videos
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