Civilian Drones
Peter Day investigates the business use of what some call, with a shiver, drones. Could an unmanned aerial vehicle be delivering your pizza in the not too distant future?
For decades, unpersoned planes have been used by the military in places such as Afghanistan and Pakistan to watch the ground and deliver weapons controlled by remote pilots thousands of kilometres away. But now companies and experts are putting their minds to turning military drones into civilian vehicles that can do things cheaper and better than piloted planes. Peter Day investigates unmanned aerial vehicles and how they are already being used by farmers and the police. Also, could a drone be delivering your pizza in the not too distant future?
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Clips
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Civilian unmanned aerial vehicle tested over crop fields
Duration: 01:50
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Civilian drone flights ‘routine’ within five years
Duration: 01:50
Contributors to this programme
Adrian Eves
head of flight operations, Callen-Lenz
Jonathan Webber
Managing Director, Callen-Lenz
Sue Wolfe
Project Manager, Callen- Lenz
Matthew Ellis
Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire Police
Dr Stephen Prior
Reader in Unmanned Air Vehicles at Southampton University
Professor Jim Scanlan
Professor of Aerospace Design at Southampton University
Craig Hoyle
Defence editor at Flight International
Lambert Dopping-Hepenstal
Director of the Astraea Project
Nick Meyrick
from Selex ES
Paola Santana
co-founder of Matternet
Broadcasts
- Thu 5 Sep 201320:30BBC Radio 4
- Sun 8 Sep 201321:30BBC Radio 4
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