Texas Declares War on Robots : Especially when they are used to report environmental violations. http://robots.net/article/3542.html
New Hampshire bill to ban aerial photography: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2013/HB0619.pdf It's very short and worth a read.
Ok, so while I get the 'does not reveal forms identifiable as human beings' wording, basically if you don't see a human that the image is ok. But then it adds 'or man-made objects'. So you could take an image of a forest but if it had a single 'man-made' object then you couldn't take the image if the object could be used as a dwelling, like a hunting tree stand. So long Google Earth. However and there is always a however, if I suspect that the dwelling is part of a criminal enterprise and in my looney mind I believe that to be true then it appears to be OK.
The forest probably has a road leading into it, around it, or near it. So come out with your copter up, you illegal drone pilot. Andy.
Paul Rand filibusters on the senate floor for over 12 hours straight! He spoke to block a vote on the president's nominee for cia director, saying he first wanted an answer to a simple question. Can the president use a drone strike to kill an unarmed american citizen on U.S. soil? http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/rand-paul-filibusters-american-drone-policy-18679555
Today's New York Times video: http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/03/17/business/100000002115828/drones-a-booming-business.html
And the first words on the opening shot are "So now I am arming the system". That will play well in Paranoia land....
Washington state drone bill put on hold Wednesday after no votes were cast mostly due to Boeing objecting and complaing that the bill would hurt business. http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020561850_dronesboeingxml.html
And yet another article today: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130318/ARTICLES/130319522/1334/news?p=1&tc=pg The comments show people's opinions are quite negative. IMHO changing opinions requires our social media engagement. But we should go in knowing that you have to work twice as hard to overcome a negative opinion than to overcome a positive one.
I agree Colin. In my experience negative opinion is possibly even greater to overcome than that. Managing affairs through legislative efforts is critical for short term success. To succeed in the long term and build a foundation of understanding, the outreach and education efforts IMO are just as important. Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. ~Benjamin Franklin Ryan
Another article I saw today. This one by Agence France-Presse (AFP) the French news agency posted in Industry Week. http://www.industryweek.com/emerging-technologies/friend-or-foe-civilian-drones-stir-debate?page=1
I love the quote from the FAA that says 7,000 unmanned aircraft could dot the skies in 5 years. 3DRobotics/DIYDrones is supposedly selling 7,000 drone kits PER QUARTER. Is that dotting the sky?
If the FAA's estimate is true, that would be one dot per 542 square miles. It's getting crowded out there. (The USA is 3,794,101 square miles.)
Here's a link to the CSPAN video of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Aerial Drone Use in the U.S.. It's 01:47:46 long but most informative. http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/311620-1
Thanks, Colin. I'm amazed at how "drone" is now becoming a popular topic -- usually in a negative connotation. The media would prefer it to have a negative connotation, it would seem because it "sells" better, is more evocative, and people react more when they feel they are under attack. No matter that a rented Cessna 172 with a Canon 5D Mk III with a 400 mm image stabilized lens can invade privacy just fine... Andy.