Abstract:

Drones, or unmanned aerial systems, are increasingly used in public spaces, in particular in the context of so-called ‘smart cities’. Drone technology is rapidly innovating, and its hypothetical use in the near future is promising. Drones can be exploited for public and business purposes, e.g. for emergency medication delivery, general last mile delivery, building inspections, the cleaning of solar panels, agricultural applications, surveillance and so on. However, there are some challenges and concerns that relate to fundamental human rights. First, there is the risk of dual use: drones have a military origin, and this technology is now being further used and developed in a civilian setting. The values embodied in these technologies do not automatically reflect societal needs. Furthermore, there are technological challenges that need to be overcome in order to successfully exploit commercial drone services. These challenges make the near-future use of drones an uncertain phenomenon for the average citizen. Third, there is the perception of citizens: while there is some technological optimism, there are grave concerns about privacy and safety, and a call for clear regulation of drone flights. However, it seems that regulators are struggling to keep pace with the innovation. Recent EU initiatives to regulate the so-called U-space give us a glimpse of what the legal concepts will look like in the near future. To conclude, we strongly emphasise the importance of the citizen’s voice in the design process of new drone technologies and services. We offer some Eindhoven-based (the Netherlands) examples of joint research initiatives into which we integrate the values of citizens in drone development.