Abstract
This chapter provides an introduction to this book and an overview of all chapters. Given the popularity of drones and the fact that many of them are easy and cheap to buy, it is generally expected that the ubiquity of drones will significantly increase within the next few years. This raises questions as to what is technologically feasible (now and in the future), what is acceptable from an ethical point of view and what is allowed from a legal point of view. Drone technology is to some extent already available to consumers and more drone technologies are expected to become available to consumers in the near future. The aim and scope of this book: to map the opportunities and threats associated with the use of drones and to discuss the ethical and legal issues of the use of drones. Since drones have many names, including UAVs, UASs and RPASs, the terminology used is explained. This chapter concludes with an overview of the structure of this book, containing chapters on drone technology, the opportunities and threats of drone use, ethical and legal issues concerning the use of drones and potentials solutions for these issues.
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Notes
- 1.
Bradwell 2014.
- 2.
http://www.dutchnews.nl/features/2014/11/the-dom-tower-in-utrecht-by-drone/. Accessed April 1, 2016.
- 3.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/04/drone-sightings-paris-seine-concorde-invalides. Accessed April 1, 2016.
- 4.
BBC News 2015.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
Wozniacka 2013.
- 8.
CBS News 2014.
- 9.
Heine 2013.
- 10.
Chosun 2014.
- 11.
CASA 2013.
- 12.
See also Finn et al. 2014.
- 13.
UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAS: Unmanned Aircraft (or Aerial) System, RPAS: Remotely Piloted Aircraft System.
- 14.
http://www.wodc.nl. Accessed April 1, 2016.
- 15.
Custers et al. 2015.
- 16.
HSD 2014. Depending on definition, drones exist even longer. There are examples of aircraft without persons on-board during the American Civil War.
- 17.
Reagan 2015.
- 18.
For a detailed account of the historical development of drones, see also Villasensor 2013.
- 19.
Note that from a legal perspective, balloons may be considered (unmanned) aircraft, see also Chap. 13.
- 20.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hewitt-Sperry_Automatic_Airplane. Accessed 1 April 2016.
- 21.
Werrell and Stevens 1985.
- 22.
Zaloga 2008. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettering_Bug. Accessed 1 April 2016.
- 23.
Yenne 2004. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_unmanned_aerial_vehicles. Accessed April 1, 2016.
- 24.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioplane_OQ-2. Accessed April 1, 2016.
- 25.
Anonymous 1956.
- 26.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioplane_BTT#MQM-57_Falconer. Accessed April 1, 2016.
- 27.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Firebee. Accessed April 1, 2016.
- 28.
Whittle 2014.
- 29.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-1_Predator. Accessed April 1, 2016.
- 30.
Note that these costs for the drone do not include costs for ground stations, satellite use, etc.
- 31.
Clarke 2014.
- 32.
Note that the term UAS is sometimes explained as the abbreviation of Unmanned Aircraft System as well.
- 33.
Note, however, that the term UAV is often used as an alternative to other terms and is not as frequently used as the term UAS. See also Chap. 13.
- 34.
GAO Report 2012.
- 35.
- 36.
Custers et al. 2015, p. 161.
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Custers, B. (2016). Drones Here, There and Everywhere Introduction and Overview. In: Custers, B. (eds) The Future of Drone Use. Information Technology and Law Series, vol 27. T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-132-6_1
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