When we talk about drones, we often end up confining our consideration of the pilot-less aircraft to realms of commerce, military, and other fairly focused uses. Contestants in a recently launched contest, however, want to broaden your horizons. They...
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Before drones became a plaything of many hobbyists, they were used to monitor and kill people and for a lot longer than most of us might think. Though the usage of drones out in the field seems to be a fairly new thing, sources tell us that unmanned, remote-controlled drones in warfare have been utilized since at least World War I. Targeted killing with drones began to be utilized in about 2002.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
The technology is convenient. With its advent, operators were able to watch and send commands from a distance without putting themselves at risk and probably with a bit of detachment when it came to pulling the trigger.
As The Guardian reports, Feb. 6, despite their recent popularization in news media, it’s pretty easy to see why “drones have a PR problem.” They can be used to deliver pizzas, bring a new view of the news to us, or dance for the arts. Still, it’s hard to wipe clean from recent memory how armed drones hovered over places such as Pakistan, sometimes taking the lives of numerous civilians in the process.
It’s no wonder that the public has been slow to embrace drone technology. Still, it’s undeniable that the usage of drones is full of possibilities outside of the scope of war and even play. The Guardian reports that Dubai is hosting a “World Cup of drones” which features the innovations of many competitors who have come up with some pretty great ideas that address real world problems. For example, what if, instead of using drones to hunt and kill, they were used in efforts of putting an end to poaching? What if they could help in the development of homes for people in need, as well as send in much needed supplies to poverty-stricken areas? Ideas for drones playing a role in ending deforestation and being utilized in rescue missions were also put forth in the “World cup of drones.”
It’s a “notion of ‘drones for good’” that drives the competition whose aim is to transform drone technologies into “practical solutions for improving people’s lives today.” The competition stems from a belief that the technology should be used in service of and for the good of people.
The year-long contest is the first of its kind and it garnered more than 800 submissions from 57 different countries. This Friday and Saturday, 19 semi-finalists will present their work to judges and investors from around the world. The winner of the international 'drones for good' competition will receive $1m,” reports The Guardian.
For more information about the contest, you can follow along at the Drones for Good website. To learn more about the current semi-finalists, visit this page.
*originally published on the now defunct Examiner.com
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