Source Article:
Wenz, J. (2015, February 10). Drone Waiters Will Now Take Your Order. Popular
Mechanics. Retrieved from http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/drones/a14017/drone-waiters-infinium-robotics-singapore/
The use of unmanned aerospace
systems (UAS) in commercial applications are on the verge of reality. Along with the development and operations
work to bring commercial applications projects to fruition, potential operators
must consider safety and liability issues.
Until these concerns are addressed, this technology will not be accepted
by the public.
With any new technology, the
public’s trust must be gained through proof of effective and safe
operations. Not only must a new
technology demonstrate utility to appeal to future users but also safe operation
to avoid harm to people’s lives. Wenz
(2015) writes that some restaurants in Singapore are seeking to alleviate a
service labor shortage in the country’s dining establishments with UAS
“waiters”. The example in Wenz’s article
is an Infinium Robotics quad-rotor design capable of a payload of 4.4
pounds. The UAS employs infrared
navigational sensors to avoid collisions with people, other UAS, and
structures. The Infinium quad-rotor UAS
feature protective grates over the rotors and avoidance sensors as safety
measures. However, there is no mention
of how effective the sensors are at avoiding collisions or the crash test
characteristics of the UAS “waiters”.
There are numerous questions that must be addressed regarding safety and
accidents. For example, if a person
moves suddenly and unexpectedly in front of a UAS, will the sensors and flight
control system react quickly enough to avoid a collision? Could an evasive maneuver possibly result in a
hot entree being spilled on to a person?
If the “waiter” is accidentally overloaded with weight, will the flight
control logic return an error and prevent take-off? Are there any items that the restaurant serves
that are within the cargo weight limits but adversely affect the
center-of-gravity and stability of the UAS?
In the event of a collision, how resilient is the fuselage? How much force can be absorbed before a
protective grate over the rotor gets knocked loose? What procedures are in place in the event of
an accident? These are questions that
must be answered before this system becomes fully operational.
A similar quad-rotor UAS was
used in a Christmas-time promotion at a New York City restaurant in 2014. A restaurant used the UAS to carry aloft a
sprig of mistletoe. The operator maneuvered
the craft through the restaurant and hovered over a couples’ table to encourage
them to partake in the holiday tradition. During one such flight, one of the aircraft
rotors struck a patron in the face, causing injury (Ogle, 2014). This type of accident should be cause for
concern for all potential operators of UAS for commercial purposes. Insurance coverage for liability, accidents,
and medical costs will most likely be all but required for commercial operation. Without coverage, the aftermath of an
accident may result in severe financial hardship for the liable business
operating the UAS. The method by which
the insurance coverage is offered will also have impact on business owners’
decisions on whether or not to field a UAS.
Questions to consider are whether the insurance coverage will be a
separate policy or offered as a special add-on to an existing policy? Will the cost of coverage be prohibitive to
operations? Will insurance agencies
stipulate some degree of formal training and certification for operators or offer
a discount for such training? Will
larger, more reliable agencies be willing to risk entering this new market or
will smaller, start-up agencies be the only ones willing to take the initial
risk?
Commercial operation of UAS will
most certainly have a place in our future.
However, potential operators must ensure that proper steps and due
diligence is exercised to protect themselves in the event of accidents and
ensure the public’s safety to the highest degree.
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