back to article From the Dept of the Bleedin' Obvious... yes, drones hurt when they hit you in the head

Being hit in the head by a drone won't necessarily end in decapitation. Thanks to aeronautical boffins, we know now that there is a range of possible outcomes. Not content to let the US Federal Aviation Administration ponder drone drubbings – something the agency did in April – researchers from Virginia Tech and State …

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Banned

      That's not entirely a good idea, as it precludes a variety of use cases where drones can be very useful - e.g. carrying out camera inspections of upper parts of buildings without needing to send someone up there. IMO setting up a sensible (and enforcable) regulatory framework is better then having an outright ban throw the baby out with the bathwater.

      Drone use around airports is a special case, due to the disproportionate amount of collateral damage that would occur if a drone caused a larger aircraft to crash. An outright ban in those areas probably is warranted.

  1. David 132 Silver badge
    Facepalm

    That article photo

    It took me a second glance to realize that it was a dummy in the photo, and not some poor unfortunate bloke in a wheelchair. I did think for a moment that maybe the drive to bring the disabled community back into the workforce had, um, gone a step too far.

    "What do you mean, you've got leprosy and your leg's fallen off? You're just malingering. I'm denying your claim for disability living allowance, now apply for this job:"

    "Wanted: wheelchair user for passive drone testing. Must not mind frequent blows to the head and/or decapitation by spinning rotors. Pay £7.25/hr, enquire within."

  2. Pat Harkin

    Yes it's obvious but...

    It did need to be quantified, if only to fend off "independent reports" commissioned by drone manufacturers which conclude risks are "tiny" or "insignificant". Such reports would allow defence lawyers to argue "The published opinion is that my client has no reason to believe his actions would lead to significant harm - after all, people have been flying toy planes in that park for decades", comparing a drone to a (light) model aeroplane rather than the better volume/weight match of a breeze-block. ("Cinder block" in our New World Colonies, I believe) (In checking that, I learned that "breeze" is a synonyn for ash or cinder. I hadn't known that.)

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