By Theo Frei: Subscribe to Theo's RSS feed
August 7, 2010 6:06 PM EDT
The Internet giant Google could be in the process of testing the use of camera drones according to a published report.
Germany-based Microdrones confirmed that it already shipped one of its fully-automatic civilian micro drone to Google.
The chief executive of the drone maker, Sven Juerss, told the German business magazine "Wirtschafts Woche" that his company hopes to deliver dozens of drones to Google soon.
"The drones are very suited to deliver up to date image material for Google Maps," said Juerss, and added that Google could also use the flying eyes to inspect its wind parks. The German magazine didn´t provide a statement from Google on the matter though.
The drones are already used by the British police, among many other corporate and private users of the freely available drone, since 3 years. The police is using the "spy drone", fitted with CCTV cameras, mainly for tackling anti-social behavior and public disorder.
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The "md4-1000" from Microdrones can carry any payload weighting up to 1.2 kilograms, is very silent and can fly as high as one kilometer. The drone also allows for manually controlled flights or starts, flies and lands automatically as programmed with the aid of GPS navigation. Equipped with night-vision or even heat-sensitive cameras, it is possible to observe activities outside and inside during night and through walls.
German privacy advocates, when asked about the matter by the magazine, reacted deeply concerned about the implications.
"The problems could be even more severe than with Google Street View," said Ulrich Lepper, privacy officer of Germany's biggest state. Google's Street View allows users to peruse recorded street-level images of streets and alleys from their computers.
The silent drones would be able to penetrate non-public areas like gardens and deliver live-footage in formerly unachievable proximity and quality, Lepper contends.
Juerss from Microdrones fends off the accusation of providing a flying spy with the argument that "it was and remains forbidden to intrude the privacy sphere by taking photos or video footage."
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