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Drones won't fly

I see all this media hype about Amazon, and now Google, investigating using drones to deliver packages to replace the traditional courier vans, motor cycles etc. I just don't see that this idea or the unrestricted use of drones is going to fly. - not with current technology anyway. There is no way governments are going to let any Tom. Dick or Harry or kid acquire a drone and fly it anywhere they please for the following reasons:


  1. Drones, like any other machinery, will be prone to failure – electro-magnetic interference with communication systems and deliberate jamming, fuel/battery and engine failures, bird strikes, flying into obstacles, flying into each other and being shot at by irate property owners, vandals or bad guys after the parcel. A drone hitting a person or a car could cause serious accidents, injury and death.


  1. Noise pollution: any propellers or propulsion system creates noise so residents are going to object.


  1. Privacy and security: who is going to allow anyone to just fly a drone over their property, whether a peeping Tom or a criminal, checking the security and if people are at home?


Imaging how long a low flying drone with a big fat parcel underneath is going to last flying over any populated up area in South Africa.


Of course drones have very import role to play in search and rescue, mercy missions, military/police surveillance and for certain economic activities like farming (monitoring stock, checking crops, etc.) but flying around the suburbs delivering parcels? As I said, not with any existing technology, and it is going to take decades to be able to develop systems that overcome the drawbacks I identified. In the meantime you will see many governments introducing regulations to restrict their use.


Am I being realistic or am I a Luddite?

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