The Future of Drone Swarm "Awareness"

Drones are evolving along multiple developmental lines. They have been officially welcomed by Congress into U.S. skies, as an increasing number of cities are slated to become commercial drone testing sites. This opens up the possibility for drone delivery systems, as well as even more pervasive mass surveillance.

Simultaneously, drones are becoming increasingly miniaturized and cooperative. The drone swarm has taken shape and is improving its ability to sense its surroundings.

The video below offers a quick look at what it might be like to have drone swarms in our midst.

This video also illustrates the ability for swarms of drones to maintain human avoidance while presumably working in the background to collect information.

As one commenter noted, “The only thing missing is drones scanning the human’s eyes to verify his identity. And to think that Minority Report was considered science fiction…”

Sorry, they are actually already working on that. Facial recognition via drone is here, as they can be equipped with camera systems like DARPA’s Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System (ARGUS). This sensor system can instantly see an area roughly the “size of a small city” with an “all-seeing” eye according to retired Lieutenant, David A. Deptula.

Or how about insect-sized drones swarms that can conduct surveillance and even execute targeted individuals? You can read about that and see the official Air Force video here.

The only thing not done yet is to apply all of this technology inside of America. But one look at the amount of money being invested in the domestic drone industry boom should leave no doubt that the plan is moving forward.

The drone arms race is heating up with countries like China, and the next 10 years will likely either see it come to full fruition, or reveal itself as an unattainable dream of the technocratic elite. In the meantime, the public is treated to creepy demos of a possible dystopian future.

States need to get serious about banning drones from their skies, as well as protecting each person’s biometrics as private property. Otherwise, the entire U.S. will start to look like Bloomberg’s New York, where pervasive databasing and surveillance of citizens becomes something that we’ll “just have to get used to.”

Hat Tip: GigaOM

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