Unmanned System Implementation
Strategy
The
implementation of an unmanned system will need to address the public’s concern in
order to be successful. The most
important areas of concern are privacy, ethics, safety, and system
control. There are differences in the
specific details with these issues depending on the domain of the unmanned
system. In this paper, the areas of concern
will be examined specifically for unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Privacy
concerns will certainly be a significant issue in the future of UAS operations. A prime example is a UAS equipped with
sophisticated electro-optical recording systems capable of high quality video
and imagery capture under a variety of day/night conditions. There are already federal, state, and civic
penal codes covering legality of recording video or taking photographs. One example is found in the Texas state penal
code (Improper Photography or Visual Recording, 2003). The proper and legal use of video and
photographs from a UAS should be no different than those obtained by photographers
on the ground. There should be no additional
stigma levied by the public on a UAS simply because it is unmanned. There is very little difference between a UAS
or photographer covering a fire in a multi-level urban structure. There is also very little difference between
a UAS or helicopter-borne photographer attempting to cover a high-profile
celebrity’s wedding (O’Neil, 1999). In
each of these examples, the public’s regard to the utility of the imagery
should be independent of the platform. Ensuring
that privacy is respected will be determined more by the operator and consumer
than by the unmanned nature of the aircraft.
The
ethics of UAS usage is not a question of “can we use it?” but “should we use it?”. These
concerns are very similar to the issue of safeguarding privacy. The nature of the UAS employment will be
determined more by the operator and consumer market than the unmanned nature of
the aircraft. For example, there are
concerns that video equipped UAS platforms will tacitly violate the Fourth
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (Villasenor, 2012). Like the issues concerning privacy mentioned
before, there is very little difference between an operator doing something
unethical in manned platform as opposed to an unmanned platform. Villasenor (2012) also writes about an
incident in which law enforcement gathered evidence in a narcotics case from an
aircraft traveling a public airway. The
Supreme Court of the United States ruled that there was no violation of the
Constitution. There should be no
difference if the platform in this particular case was a UAS traveling the same
public airway and using the same type of video/imagery equipment. As the capabilities of video and imaging
systems increase with technological advances, the determination of whether
airborne usage is invasive and unethical will be waged in future legal
battles. However, the unmanned nature of
UAS should not factor into these determinations as the technology can be used
in unethical methods by manned aircraft as well.
Safety
concerns are of paramount importance since hazard to property and life is involved. History has shown that an aircraft’s safety reputation
is a critical factor in its success. One
example is the deHaviland Comet. The
aircraft was a feat of engineering and the problems that led to fatal mid-air
break-ups were eventually resolved. However,
the public perception and damaged reputation condemned the aircraft to a short
service life and losing the market to its rivals (Pushkar, 2012). The safe operation of a UAS is little
different than the safe operation of a manned aircraft. The specifics of how that safety is
maintained are different due to the unmanned nature of a UAS. For example, there is no human pilot on board
with the dexterity to perform an hands-on troubleshooting. However, the end result of unsafe operation
for both types of platforms is similar.
For example, the loss of situational awareness with a UAS can lead to
the aircraft wandering into congested airspace and causing an accident similar
to the fate of Aeromexico Flight 498 (Landsberg, 2001). The unsafe operation of a manned or unmanned
aircraft can lead to essentially a high velocity and momentum projectile
putting lives at risk. Integral to
addressing the public’s concern to the safety of a UAS are the design of the control
systems.
A
successful UAS system must utilize a reliable and sophisticated flight control
system (FCS) to conduct safe operations and be allowed to operate in the national
airspace (NAS). In the event that
communication with the aircraft is disrupted or degraded to the point where
there is no longer any response to the operator’s control inputs, an autonomous
FCS must take control. This autonomous
system must be capable of “sensing and avoiding” all other air traffic,
structures, and terrain and maneuvering the aircraft accordingly and in a safe
manner. Even if the aircraft were
programmed to return immediately to its home base, the aircraft must navigate
its entire route safely. The autonomous
FCS must also consider whether or not the aircraft can return to its programmed
“loss of contact” location due to fuel state and potential damage. Without a sophisticated autonomous FCS and
programmed routines, a UAS without communication and control presents a
hazardous scenario such as the one involving a U.S. Navy RQ-4 Global Hawk over
Maryland in 2012 (Whitlock, 2014). This type
of scenario presents an unacceptable risk of loss of the aircraft, property,
and/or life. One of the public’s
greatest concerns is how an unmanned aircraft will behave if the pilot at the
control station can no longer control the aircraft. Designing an autonomous FCS to ensure safe
operation will alleviate those concerns.
References
Improper Photography or
Visual Recording, Texas Penal Code § 21.15 (2003).
Landsberg, B. (2001, Jan 1). Landmark
Accidents: Collision Over Cerritos.
Retrieved from
O’Neil, A. (1999, February 26). Pilot Charged with Buzzing Streisand
Wedding. Los Angeles
Villasenor, J. (2012, September 20). Will “Drones” Outflank the Fourth Amendment? Forbes.
Whitlock, C. (2014, June 22). Crashes Mount as Military Flies More Drones
in U.S. The
Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2014/06/22/crashes-mount-as-military-flies-more-drones-in-u-s/
