“I hope you and your family are safe during these troubling times” is a common greeting during the Coronavirus pandemic due to the unpredictable and wide-spread nature of the virus. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has provided many guidelines to the public to help ensure people can keep themselves safe and healthy during the pandemic. One of these guidelines regards social distancing which advises people to maintain 6 feet between themselves and another person.
Xavier Arthur, a drone enthusiast in New York City, was frustrated by the spread of Coronavirus due to people violating social distancing guidelines and decided to take matters into his own hands. He flew his drone out into the city and used the drone’s speaker to broadcast messages emphasizing the importance of social distancing. While Arthur’s messages of social distancing were the acts of one individual, they echoed the efforts of volunteers, organizations, and law enforcement agencies across the nation.
Although drones operate in a legal grey area because no substantial drone legislation has been passed thus far, the usage and prevalence of drones in modern society is only increasing. The Coronavirus pandemic has only provided more ways for drones to be incorporated into daily life. In order to minimize person to person contact, some agencies have used drones to deliver supplies to homeless shelters and food banks.
However, the use of drones during the pandemic remains a highly controversial topic. On the one hand, some medical professionals advocate for the use of Forward Looking Infrared Camera (FLIR) technology on drones. FLIR technology allows a drone to use an infrared camera to measure the body temperature of a person and the distance between people. This can be used to identify people who have a raised temperature which can be one of the signs of the virus and determine if people are following social distancing guidelines. On the other hand, many citizens are concerned by the use of this technology. Many people believe that using infrared cameras or other cameras can be an abuse of power and an invasion of privacy when used by law enforcement which was the case with the Westport Police Department which used FLIR technology. Due to public outrage, the Westport Police Department decided to stop their use of FLIR technology on drones despite their potentially life saving capabilities.
Despite the privacy concerns, drones usage will only continue to increase because of the diverse functionality that they offer. Drone technology is ever-changing, and in the future, the way this technology will be used is yet to be seen.
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