3 “Drones Okay” Playground: Fun with Personal Drones
3 “Drones Okay” Playground: Fun with Personal Drones
Learners consider the sociotechnical aspects of drones and how drones can restructure social experiences. Learners are prompted to design a playground, where drones can be used safely for fun and recreation, while other playground activities are also accommodated. The learning aims of this case study are to:
1. Introduce Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, as a rapidly evolving sociotechnical phenomenon
2. Develop skills for direct and indirect stakeholder analysis, especially considering bystanders
3. Explore how both technical and policy requirements might be developed to support multi-use stakeholder experiences.
Introduction
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also referred to as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and commonly known as “drones,” are poised to have a substantial impact on human societies. In this case study, “drone” refers to all remote controlled, or autonomous, unmanned aircraft systems, regardless of size, capabilities, or purpose. Drones are commonly equipped with cameras and perhaps other sensors. Drones were first developed for military applications at the beginning of the 20th century, shortly after the development of manned aircraft. More recently, drone technology has begun to diffuse into governmental and non-governmental institutions—for example, police departments and movie studios—and into the hands of individuals for both personal and commercial applications.
Despite federal regulations that prohibits people from flying drones in Washington, D.C., on January 26, 2015 a small, inexpensive, personal drone penetrated security and crash landed on the White House grounds in Washington, DC. Responding to reporters’ questions the next day, President Obama was reported to have said: “We don’t really have any kind of regulatory structure at all for [drones].” It was further reported that he asked government agencies to make sure that drones “… aren’t dangerous and that they’re not violating people’s privacy.”
At the same time, state legislatures around the U.S. have also been concerned about the use of drones. For example, on December 1, 2015 the Georgia House of Representatives released a report, “House Study Report on the Use of Drones,” which began with this sentence: “Commonly referred to as drones or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), this technology is taking the nation by storm; however, regulations for their use have fallen behind.” Here are the 15 recommendations from the Georgia House of Representatives:
- Continue to monitor FAA Regulations with regards to registration requirements of hobbyist operators. The committee does not want to duplicate the process or hinder the industry.
- Form a commission made up of legislators, researchers, industry experts, and others deemed appropriate to help develop policy and encourage industry expansion within the state.
- Continue to encourage our universities and technical colleges to find ways to get i