Hobby drones are starting to scare the crap out of me (Roman Candle Attack Drone)

[Auggie]

Already a privacy issue ...

Becoming an issue in emergency response situations ...

Plus whatever issues morons like these can dream up (personal injury, property damage, arson) ...

When do they become a common crime tool?

[PoliticAverse]

1. The FAA is scheduled to release formal rules for drones next month. n/t

[Auggie]

2. Just like we have formal rules for guns, huh?

[PoliticAverse]

3. Maybe...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027025962

[valerief]

8. Oh, but guns don't kill. They just create circular spaces. nt

[Adrahil]

23. Not on their own, they don't. nt

[jtuck004]

4. That's the ones you can see. How about the one that lifts up from a residence about once an

hour, records all the neighbors movements, sees when the kids are home alone for a couple of hours.

There may well be a LOT more of those, and nearly impossible to find, or see.

[PoliticAverse]

10. I wonder how the world will change when they're the size of insects. n/t

[jtuck004]

12. Might be time to work on a new kind of pesticide. n/t

[SolutionisSolidarity]

5. Some guy attached a handgun to one of these drones.

I didn't think they'd handle the recoil, but that didn't seem to be a problem in the video. It does make you wonder how long until someone puts one of these assassin drones to use.

[bluestateguy]

6. I will not permit drones over my home's airspace without my permission

T'sall.

[PoliticAverse]

9. Define "over". 20 feet, 200 feet, 2,000 feet?... n/t

[valerief]

7. If they want to be shot at, there are always pah-lenty of wars to join.

Nitwits.

[Auggie]

15. +1

[Old Crow]

11. Or: "Getting a Taste of What It's Like to be a Pakistani Civilian"

Main difference being that for the Pakistani civilians, it isn't a game.

[jtuck004]

13. Dudes. That would be a lot cooler if you hooked leaky cans of gas to it and made them spin

at the same time.

[randr]

14. Calling Darwin

Two more candidates that could not look or act dumber than dirt.

[Thespian2]

16. Ignorance is bliss.

These children are blisters.

[zebonaut]

17. Besides themselves; these idiots are endangering Children

None of what they are doing is legal

[tclambert]

18. I can see it now: Drones with claws fly into a jewelry store at the mall, grab shiny things

and zip out with Paul Blart in hot pursuit. Future crime coming soon.

Hell, I wouldn't trust the things to deliver a hot pizza. It's cool until somebody gets an eye put out.

[packman]

19. Assholes will always be with us - profound statement there

I believe one of the Nordic countries is experimenting with a medical drone . Someone calls in a person down, drone takes off , lands and is capable of doing blood pressure (with human assistance of course), cardio readings, and even provides paddles for a shock if needed.

Nevertheless, these guys are idiots -

Looking into my crystal ball I predict within a short period of time someone will load one of these up with explosives and go after someone.

[brett_jv]

27. You mean 'apart from the US Government', I assume?

I really don't 'get' these calls for banning these things. Just because they MAY be used for nefarious deeds is no cause to call for their banning. People will be held responsible for misuse just like w/anything else.

Someone with a mind to do harm w/one of these could almost certainly do even MORE damage ... with a damn car. Should we ban cars as well?

We can't just 'ban everything someone might use to harm someone/something'.

I realize this the 'same argument' the gun humpers use, but it's actually different ... cars ... and drones ... have very legitimate 'other uses'. Guns (apart from those used for hunting)? Not so much.

[Geronimoe]

20. Top CEOs

These two guys probably make over $10 million each as CEOs. Real geniuses.

[James48]

21. What could possibly go wrong?

Drones.

Beer.

Fireworks.

What could possibly go wrong?

[brett_jv]

28. I find it hard to believe a drone that size could carry a full 12 pack any great distance ...

Its a simple question of weight ratios! A 5-oz bird cannot possibly carry a 1 pound coconut!

[Quixote1818]

22. They may need to be outlawed before the NRA decides they could protect us against the Gov.

Once the NRA backs them the cat will be out of the bag and every redneck in the country will have one and they won't like the cops coming to confiscate them.

Unless they are completely outlawed, then major shit is going to happen sooner or later. There would still be incidences with them being illegal but not anything like having around 100 million floating around legally.

[Adrahil]

24. Just a quick note....

They are essentially just RC "model" aircraft. Please remember that a lot of folks fly model aircraft who are not assholes.

[Warren DeMontague]

29. some people hear "drone" and they lose their shit, like it's a Terminator coming to get them.

If you want to be a moron, you can strap a roman candle to a RC aircraft, too. Or a kite, which can also carry a camera and spy on your back yard


...full disclosure, I watched the video, and these guys are supreme idiots, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find it slightly fascinating, too.

[Adrahil]

31. Lol same.

But then, I did stid shit as a kid, too.

[Locrian]

25. the potential for harm

The potential for harm from these things is huge: Long range, heavy payload, explosives. Not a good combination.

I'm certainly not a "terror!! terror!! terror!!" person, but this seems like a wet dream for somebody wanting to cause a great deal of damage.

[Auggie]

26. Great potential as surveillance vehicles in home burglaries too

[Warren DeMontague]

30. "heavy payload"? Not on the normal sorts of quadcopters you're gonna get for a hundred bucks.

If people are willing to spend thousands of dollars on some industrial grade deal, maybe. But these are basically toys.