drone
Unmanned drones have been used frequently for military operations, but will they soon be put to more uses in the civilian world? (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Eyes in the sky: Drones being considered for civilian surveillance

BY Tim Haeck  on December 1, 2011 @ 1:55 pm (Updated: 7:01 am - 12/2/11 )

Surveillance cameras are everywhere these days, from banks to government buildings, police cars and even on the lapels of police officers themselves.

Improving technology could soon put more cameras in the sky, attached to drones and local companies are key players in the development of this fast-growing market.

The military has used unmanned aerial vehicles for years to target and attack the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan. A subsidiary of the Boeing company, Insitu, has developed multiple unmanned systems for the battlefield.

Now, the technology is becoming more affordable and there's growing interest in drones for civilian use.

"We're finally bringing science fiction to reality" said Tom Nugent, the President of Kent start-up LaserMotive. He might be talking about drones but he's actually referring to the company's power beaming technology that won a NASA prize.

"It's, in a sense, a wireless extension cord. We take a laser and shine it through the air to a remote specialized solar cell and that solar cell converts that light into electricity, just like solar cells on your house," explained Nugent.

LaserMotive is using its technology to develop drones that never need to land to refuel. Possible civilian uses include surveying wildfires and farmland.

"If a farmer needs an image of his farm field to see what conditions are, for example, if you could have a small hand-launched aircraft with a nice, small camera, then you could fly it wherever you want, whenever you want and not have to wait on someone else, and you could probably do it cheaper," said Nugent.

He said his drones with their power beaming technology are also being marketed to police agencies.

"We've spoken to some of the hostage rescue teams in some of the large cities and they are very interested in having this capability to simply survey the outside of a building before they approach it and put their personnel in danger," Nugent explained.

But the development of drones, with cameras, for civilian use is a concern for privacy advocates.

"It definitely provides a tool for law enforcement that you can see the utility in, in having a cheap flying portable surveillance machine, unfortunately the question is: How does it respect privacy? So we've got all kinds of technologies where law enforcement is now storing large amounts of data and peering into all part of our private lives," said Brian Alseth, with the American Civil Liberties Union in Seattle.

He says the proliferation of security cameras in public can lead to surveillance fatigue, where people give up being concerned.

"You start to see one or two pop up and then all of a sudden they're everywhere and before anyone has a chance to think about it we're being caught on camera hundreds of times per day. Hopefully with drones, since it's something that is regulated to begin with, we can get out in front of it," suggested Alseth.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued hundreds of permits for testing drones but so far has not issued permits for their widespread use in U.S. airspace.

People have an expectation of privacy on their property, said Alseth and he thinks airborne surveillance will eventually lead to a court ruling.

"We need to decide as Americans what it means to be in a free and open society and how much unfettered surveillance we want to allow for," said Alseth.

Teal Group, an aerospace industry organization, predicts the market for unmanned aerial vehicles will more than double to $11.5 billion in the next ten years.

Tim Haeck, KIRO Radio Reporter
Tim Haeck is a news reporter with KIRO Radio. While Tim is one of our go-to, no-nonsense reporters, he also has a sensationally dry sense of humor and it will surprise some to learn he is a weekend warrior.
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Comments (26)


  • Add A Comment

  • CldWtrSrf wrote...
    Drones along with
    December 2, 2011 5:27 am
    The passing of the National Defense Bill that suspends Habeas Corpus and gives the Military Free Reign to run around American Soil. AWESOME. Now they can not only assassinate American Citizens, the can also pick us up at home, detain us with out charges for indefinite periods of time, and ship us to overseas secret prisons. Not that this probably hasn't already happened, but now it's a LAW. If Obama doesn't veto this, then he is truly and Emperor, and everyone in Congress that voted for this should be tried for blatantly breaking THEIR OATH TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BikeNazi wrote...
    As the right always says
    December 2, 2011 6:01 am
    If you're doing nothing wrong you have nothing to worry about. The cops want you to be a good citizen.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    Pay no attention
    December 2, 2011 6:07 am
    Remember, Obama is just trying to save us from that evil Nazi George W. Bush. It was worse than he thought and now he needs four more years to make the changes you can believe in. Then all will be well. Everyone will be finally equal. Sure, Joe Biden is the father of the Patriot Act., but Homeland Security needs these tools because of all the right wingers who need to be watched. They are so scary.

    Pay no attention.... Pay no attention.... Pay no attention.... Pay no attention.... Pay no attention....

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Paul
    December 2, 2011 7:18 am
    You mean that 100% of the GOPers backed a bill written by a Dem? Sounds as if the Rightys need to purge their politicians as they are obviously being sold out by them
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    you're starting to catch on messiah...
    December 2, 2011 8:46 am
    as slow and dim witted as you may be, you almost got one right.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Maybe liberals and conservatives will find common ground someday.
    December 2, 2011 7:32 am
     Noam Chomsky said it best: "America does not have a 2-party political system, it has a one-party political system. That is the Business/corporate party. The business party has 2 factions, the democrats and the republicans, which are somewhat different but carry out variations on the same policies and provide the people with the illusion of choice, so they don't rise up in revolt. America is effectively not a democracy or a republic anymore, it is an oligarchy, and more specifically, a corporatocracy."
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hakuzen wrote...
    Skynet....
    December 2, 2011 7:42 am
    How does science fiction always seem to guess right...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    You may be right...
    December 2, 2011 7:47 am
    & You, Forrest, are the exact guy they'll be watching...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    Noam Chomsky said a lot of things
    December 2, 2011 9:02 am
    and occasionally he was right. Here's another one...

    "Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media."

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Padre wrote...
    So if I'm speeding down E. Marginal...
    December 2, 2011 7:43 am
    ...do I get a Hellfire missile up my keister?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    Hey Bike Nazi
    December 2, 2011 7:47 am
    Some people like to say "If you're not doing anything wrong you don't have anything to worry about." but they're completely wrong. That isn't a right or left issue, it's a government versus citizen issue. The Constitution of the United States was written to LIMIT what government is allowed to do. Unfortunately, as former president GWBush is reputed to have said, "The constitution is just a blanking piece of paper." As far as paranoia goes, XCOP, Is there reason to fear a government that has recently determined it is legal to kill any US citizen at any time in any place based on a subjective judgement made by members of the bureaucratic apparatus?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    If SPD gets a hold of one these
    December 2, 2011 8:35 am
    just think how more efficiently they will be able to monitor the massage parlors and strip clubs.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Jay Devereaux wrote...
    Fly one over my house
    December 2, 2011 8:47 am
    And I can promise it will fall from the sky
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Sure Jay
    December 2, 2011 8:56 am
    Foreign governments with many military resources can't do a darn thing about drones and you are going to go outside and shoot one down with your deer rifle. Good thinking!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Forrest
    December 2, 2011 10:30 am
    Sorry Forrest but Al Qaeda was interfering with our Drones with components purchased at Radio Shack,you can bring down a F-18 with a deer rifle and you could at least disable a Drone (if it was flying low)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Jay Devereaux wrote...
    Yes Forrest
    December 2, 2011 10:48 am
    I sure can. Because unlike the mud hut dwellers in the middle east, I can actually hit what I shoot at if I can see it. Besides, it has to take off from an airport somewhere........ Gotta love people that can't reason past the end of their own sneakers.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Jay D
    December 2, 2011 12:23 pm
    Those "mud hut dwellers" your referring to have fought the most powerful military force the world has ever seen to a stalemate,and will actually be the winners when we withdrawl the majority of our troops from Afghanistan sometimes in the next 3 years or so.So obviously when they shoot they do hit something
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Qballrail wrote...
    Wow!
    December 2, 2011 9:48 am
    SF strikes once again and government just gets a little bit bigger in the process. Emperor Obama must be gettnig ready for a coronation ceremony. Look up and smile, you're being surveilled!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • artimus wrote...
    They go nicely with the drones
    December 2, 2011 11:33 am
    ...involved in this thread.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }