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Civilian Drones

Could an unmanned aerial vehicle be delivering your pizza in the not too distant future? Peter Day investigates the business use of what some call, with a shiver, drones.

For decades, unmanned 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?

(Picture: An unmanned aerial vehicle, Credit: BBC)

Available now

29 minutes

Last on

Thu 19 Sep 201303:32GMT

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

Selex ES

Paola Santana

co-founder of Matternet

Broadcasts

  • Sat 14 Sep 201301:32GMT
  • Sat 14 Sep 201307:32GMT
  • Sun 15 Sep 201318:32GMT
  • Wed 18 Sep 201314:32GMT
  • Wed 18 Sep 201323:32GMT
  • Thu 19 Sep 201303:32GMT

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