Drones for all take to the skies

摘要

The hobbyist was testing the camera on board his small uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), when he spotted it: a creek in Dallas, Texas, running red with blood. He'd captured a picture of a stream of animal blood flowing north away from the Columbia Packing Company's meat-processing facility. Acting on the visual evidence, investigators monitored the plant before raiding it last month. The company may now face criminal charges from local, state and federal authorities for polluting city waterways with a gory mix of pig's blood and toxic chemicals. Such a story may crop up more often as UAVs fall in price and become simpler to use. What is traditionally thought of as a military technology is about to change the lives of private citizens as well as big businesses.