Consumer and Commercial Drones How a Technological Revolution Is Impacting Irish Society No
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Consumer and Commercial Drones How a technological revolution is impacting Irish society No. 1 of 2021 Dr. Boris Galkin, Trinity College Dublin, SFI Researcher-in- Residence 10 February 2021 Abstract This Spotlight examines the emerging technology of drones and their rapid proliferation into the consumer and commercial sectors. At the time of writing, drones are being adopted by a variety of organisations and industries worldwide, with wide- ranging consequences. This paper provides an overview of drone technology, including its future trends. It also explores examples of the real-world impact of drone use and the evolving legislation governing drones in Ireland. Library & Research Service | Consumer and Commercial Drones 1 Contents Glossary ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 5 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 7 1. Principles of Drone Operation ................................................................................................. 8 1.1 Drone Types ......................................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Drone-Pilot Communication Link ........................................................................................... 9 1.3 Drone Artificial Intelligence .................................................................................................. 11 1.4 Drone Cameras ................................................................................................................... 15 1.5 Anti-Drone Measures .......................................................................................................... 16 2. Technological Developments ................................................................................................ 22 2.1 Communication Link Improvements .................................................................................... 22 2.2 Flight Time Improvements .................................................................................................. 25 2.3 Drone Artificial Intelligence Improvements ........................................................................... 26 3. Real Life Applications of Drone Technology .......................................................................... 29 3.1 Photography and Filmmaking .............................................................................................. 29 3.2 Emergency Services and Law Enforcement ........................................................................ 30 3.3 Infrastructure Inspection and Surveying .............................................................................. 31 3.4 Smart Agriculture and Environmental Monitoring ................................................................. 33 3.5 Delivery and Transportation ................................................................................................ 35 3.6 Telecommunications ........................................................................................................... 38 3.7 Recreational Use ................................................................................................................. 39 3.8 Illegal Uses ......................................................................................................................... 40 4. Regulations on Drone Use .................................................................................................... 42 4.1 Controlled and Uncontrolled Airspace ................................................................................. 42 4.2 Prior Regulations on Drone Use .......................................................................................... 43 4.3 Current EU Regulations on Drone Use ................................................................................ 46 4.4 U-Space and Drone Air Traffic Management ....................................................................... 51 4.5 GDPR and Drone Camera Recordings ................................................................................ 53 4.6 Drone Use in Sensitive Areas .............................................................................................. 56 4.7 Role of An Garda Síochána and the Irish Air Navigation Service ........................................ 57 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 58 Library & Research Service | L&RS Spotlight 2 This L&RS Spotlight may be cited as: Oireachtas Library & Research Service 2021, L&RS Spotlight: Consumer and Commercial Drones - How a technological revolution is impacting Irish society Legal Disclaimer No liability is accepted to any person arising out of any reliance on the contents of this paper. Nothing herein constitutes professional advice of any kind. This document contains a general summary of developments and is not complete or definitive. It has been prepared for distribution to Members to aid them in their parliamentary duties. Some papers, such as Bill Digests are prepared at very short notice. They are produced in the time available between the publication of a Bill and its scheduling for second stage debate. Authors are available to discuss the contents of these papers with Members and their staff but not with members of the general public. A number of companies/organisations/entities are referenced in this document by the author. These references are provided for illustrative purposes; are not exhaustive; and do not constitute an endorsement of these companies/organisations/entities or their products. This document was prepared using unclassified material available to the general public and does not provide insight on issues of Irish State security. The author is not affiliated with any law enforcement organisation, state military or military research body. © Houses of the Oireachtas 2021 Acknowledgements The author would like to thank Dr. Etaoine Howlett, Ms. Maria Fitzsimons and Mr. Ivan Farmer of the Oireachtas Library & Research Service for their work as internal QAs on this paper. The author would also like to thank Ms. Julie Garland of Avtrain, Mr. Dennis McNulty and Dr. Tom O’Dea of CONNECT, as well as Capt. Lou Fine of the Irish Aviation Authority for their assistance as external QAs. Finally, the author would like to thank Mr. Darren Lawlor of the Oireachtas Library & Research Service for assistance with the graphical content of this paper and Dr. Anna Jackman of the University of London for her guidance with regards to the preparation of this document. This publication has emanated from research supported in part by a research grant from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under Grant Number 19/PSF/7615. The author, Dr. Boris Galkin, produced this publication whilst Researcher-in-Residence at the Oireachtas Library & Research Service and is available to discuss his work on drone technology with interested parties. Dr. Galkin may be contacted at the CONNECT Centre, Trinity College Dublin at [email protected]. CONNECT is the world leading SFI Research Centre for Future Networks and Communications. It is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund. Library & Research Service | Consumer and Commercial Drones 3 Glossary This section sets out a number of definitions for the purpose of this L&RS Spotlight. 5G: is a family of mobile phone network technologies and standards which are currently being adopted by network operators worldwide. ATC (Air Traffic Control): is the authority that monitors aircraft while in flight and ensures their safety by providing flight guidance and instructions. AI (Artificial Intelligence): is the software on a drone that allows it to operate automatically or autonomously. Automatic flight: is a type of drone flight where the AI is piloting the drone, with the pilot supervising and taking manual control if necessary. Autonomous flight: is a type of drone flight where the AI is piloting the drone, and the pilot is not able to intervene and take manual control. Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS): refers to drone flight where the device flies beyond the point where the drone pilot can see it with the naked eye. Controlled airspace: refers to airspace that can only be accessed by aircraft with prior approval from ATC. Drone: refers to a flying machine that does not have a pilot on-board. Drone operator: refers to the legal owner of a drone. Drone pilot: refers to the person responsible for the safe and successful flight of a drone. The pilot sends flight instructions to a drone during its operation and receives flight information back from the drone. EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency): is the European Union (EU) agency responsible for civilian aviation safety. Fixed-wing drone: refers to a type of drone that resembles an aeroplane (i.e. with two wings). Geofencing: refers to a safety function that prevents a drone from entering a certain area, based on Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): is a set of EU regulations on the gathering, processing, and use of personal data. GPS (Global Positioning System): is a technology that allows a device to identify