That gun toting drone which stirred up so much controversy has provoked the ire of the FAA. The local cops where it was done have stated no laws have been broken, but the FAA has stated regulations may have been broken and started an investigation. Let's see what they do.
One of the things I said about gun-drone was at some time someone was going to be murdered by such a weaponized drone. While there's been no 'death-by-drone' as yet, the bizarro Gone-Girl kidnapping on Mare Island here in the SF Bay Area actually had planned to pick up randsom using a drone.
To be sure, the Gone Girl kidnapping was far from the first use of drones in illegal operations. Drones have been muling over the border for drug cartels.
Drugs are not the only thing being delivered by drone: Uber started delivering ice cream to its customers in Singapore!
New Zealand has passed some very restrictive laws regarding drones, so don't bother bring your drone to NZ unless you want to take the time to get a license and that costs $600 (NZ, I think). In Thailand, mere civvies are banned from flying drones at all.
In California, due to the problems drones have caused to fire fighters, etc. a bill was introduced to allow first responders to disable, even strike down drones.
And a man rescued his drone stranded atop a roof...with another drone.
And a man rescued his drone stranded atop a roof...with another drone.
Shifting away from drones, to the second most visible sign of the Robopocalypse, the self driving car, the University of Michigan has opened 'MCity' a driving course which simulates a city for self driving cars and connected car technologies.
Then there is Faraday Future's electric car, which is supposed to be a new electric car company. Its being billed as the most connected car yet and given the trends in the automotive industry, it better be working the self driving option.
However, being connected is not necessarily a good idea and why I think the Internet of Things is scary as frack. Hackers ate 'connected' jeeps, even turning off the engine while on the freeway and demoed this to Wired. Fiat Chrysler has recalled 1.4 *MILLION* vehicles to get a bug fix in.
On a more positive note, Brad Templeton wonders when self driving cars will become cheaper than traditional cars. Right now, they are more expensive.
While the Robopocalypse's face is normally the self driving car, drone or one of DARPA funded ATLAS, it has other aspects as well. One of the sure signs of the Robopocalpse (other than Merrill Lynch noticing and giving robot related investment advice) is crowd funding efforts are turning out to be rather successful for bot startups.
For your amusement, the Indiana Robotics Invitational the 18th Annual Robosub Competition is also underway. Then there is the Robocup, where robots compete in soccer (football for all you barbarians outside the empire), which just finished.
On a more positive note, Brad Templeton wonders when self driving cars will become cheaper than traditional cars. Right now, they are more expensive.
While the Robopocalypse's face is normally the self driving car, drone or one of DARPA funded ATLAS, it has other aspects as well. One of the sure signs of the Robopocalpse (other than Merrill Lynch noticing and giving robot related investment advice) is crowd funding efforts are turning out to be rather successful for bot startups.
For your amusement, the Indiana Robotics Invitational the 18th Annual Robosub Competition is also underway. Then there is the Robocup, where robots compete in soccer (football for all you barbarians outside the empire), which just finished.
I, for one, can't wait for the giant robot battling sport events to come revolutionize our entertainment industry.
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