Monday, April 1, 2013

A is for Autonomous and Drone Technology

More and more, the concept of autonomous robots and drones are becoming more sought after. Capable of doing things independently or remotely, the technology is supposed to be beneficial to our way of life.

But how much better is it than humans doing the same tasks? Of course simple tasks can be done much quicker, but what about those tasks that require multiple fine adjustments over many different frame of references.

The most notable of that would be the idea of autonomous aircraft. Flying planes requires many adjustments in many ways, of which can computers really detect all of them and account for it.

Of course, that's where the idea of drones come in. A human being in a remote location would control the plane. But then what about signal delays, when you see something just enough time after it actually appears, would the pilot be able to prevent a collision? On top of that, what if the signal relay goes down. At least on a plane, there are on-location solutions that may be able to save the plane.

I understand that placing technology at risk can save lives, since humans would need not be present in certain situations, but would they really be able to do the job?

A is for Absolutely (Story Of A Girl) - Nine Days

3 comments:

  1. Excellent question. I guess we'll have to wait and see to get the answer.

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  2. Since the signals move at the speed of light (electro-magnetic waves) then there is still enough time.

    I find the technology fascinating, even if the social implications can be frightening.

    Looking forward to seeing what you do all month.
    --
    Tim Brannan
    The Other Side and The Witch
    Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword
    The Freedom of Nonbelief

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  3. Growing up, I would often go on long car rides with my grandparents and my cousins. Gramps ALWAYS wanted autonomous automobiles so that he could play and visit with us...he envisioned a slot-car like system once cars were on the highway....I would be okay with that...autonomous planes, not so much!!!

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