
The Daily Mail
will explode when it gets wind of this. I for one welcome our search engine overlords having a nosey through the bathroom window.
Global small-ads colossus Google is trialling a small battery-powered camera drone of a type previously used by the UK police and special forces, according to reports. It's thought that the flying spyeyes might add a new dimension to the company's controversial "Street View" picture database, compiled by fleets of camera cars …
I was waiting for Google to add areal pictures, IE is already offering such highly detailed images, each location viewable from 4 directions. They call it birds eye.
Of course, no such facts will stand in the way of another round of Google bashing by a bunch of paranoid hippies ;)
As I understand it, you own all of the air above your property, but you don't automatically own anything in it. You also don't have any particular rights to it.
There's a reason that passenger jets and other aircraft can fly over houses without being immediately repossessed!
Still, it sounds like good target practice!
The likes of The Beano hark back to the days when no kid would be seen out without a catty in his back pocket, for those serendipitous moments that a target of opportunity and a handy pebble/conker/acorn/sheepshit would be found together.
Looks like those days may be about to return.
Off now to find a cleft stick and nick a piece of 'laccy from my mum's sewing box.
Have a good read of CAP722 - Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in UK Airspace – Guidance.
Google have an awful lot of rules and regs to comply with if they have designs on using these things to do extensive mapping of the UK. I'm sure most of the civilized, sorry that should be bureaucratic - world has similar rules and regs.
Oh and @Fred4 - in the UK at least the answer to your initial question would be none. As above, so below. You have no rights to mining on your property either. Ask Al Fayed. ;)
"Anonymous posting as Google are probably monitoring these comments..." ..... Anonymous Coward Posted Monday 9th August 2010 15:28 GMT
AC,
That were it to be so, reveals that they would lack a credible future intelligence system that adventures in HyperRadioProActive IT, and thus would be a Juicy Lucy of a Servering Client and Supply Giant.
And that's very Tasty and Thoroughly Arty .... Tarty too.
Imagine the information on the wishes of women that the Internet has, and search delivers. That is pure raw core power, for primitive man knows little to nothing of another species desires and craven feed needs.
Quite why they would deny themselves the Pleasures is Surely an Undeniable Sign of a Current Present Madness.
Generally airspace below 3000 feet is open for all users, But that assumes on board eyeballs and intelligence to avoid collisions. There is plenty of sky so airborne vehicles are mostly safe.
Without a pilot the drone will have to stay below 500 feet. So the promises of no intrusion depend on the optical resolution that may, or will, be fitted.
... from their recent Street View fiasco? If I where them I'd be laying low, instead of playing with spy drones. I can just imagine seeing one of those things floating outside my window, maybe while I'm complaining about Google, or... *quickly glances out window*. They are trying to map the world on the ground and from above. How about below; drones that scour the plumbing.
Enter the USB missile launcher.
There may be some other interesting encounters :-
Birds of prey attacking these things,
Domestic pets such as cats and dogs catching them if too low.
So when you google to a skyview and get an up close of 'Ginger' the tom you know that it's not quite tangoed, but almost certainly mangled. Could prove embarrasing if 'Ginger' takes the contraption inside as a gift for his human as cats do ! Doris from number 47 caught with the milkman, again, even though she shops at Waitrose !
Better get me annorak !
cant wait for the day you can dial one up and get it to mosey around the neighour hood remotely by web control! - extra cool if it had loud speaker too!
as others have commented, the Daily Mail will go ballistic when they hear about this one!?
"think of the children" before you know it paedos, perverta and immigrants will be ruling the skys and threatening the very fabric of society... of course unless the Jones'es get one and then it will be next years must have! (after all, if you have nothing to hide...)
so after the conclusion Jumpers have all thrown a wobbly, lets post some proper thoughts...
I do not believe these will be used to image in the same way Microsoft do. (so people calm down) in MS that have already done it! without you even noticing....
I do believe these will be used to extend street view to popular places that are not so easily accessible by the gCars for example Trafalgar square. if you want to be able to see it properly on SV it needs more view points all across the square, the easiest way to capture these may be by drone. likewise parks, and well known paths on open ground like say national parks. the coast to coast walk etc...
so once again, I say CALM down dear. Put your pitchforks away, you can all sleep safely, knowing that Google probably wont destroy the world today.
Honestly what you believe that Google will do with the data is irrelevant. Now think of this, imagine that instead of Google spying on everybody and taking pictures with their drones everywhere it was the government (pick the one you hate the most). Wouldn't that be an outrage? (Let's not discuss whether the governments are already doing that in secret.) So why do I have to be happy when Google does it? Because they are nicey and googly and do no evil? My a***
I've heard a rumor that Google already have unmanned predators in test, and they are also supplying funding for airships to provide better Google maps images.
And they have also used a medium to do remote viewing of various places, where they haven't been able to get footage.
Christ, I wonder how long before all of the above gets to be common knowledge!
(I made it all up btw)