> If machines are flying over your head, would you feel safe going out without a helmet on your head?
No, not with the current state of technology. That's why I think that this ban is in the right thing to do for the time being.
> I can predict immediately that birds and drones colliding will be one of the biggest problems
You're definitely right, bird strikes are a hazard for drones, model aircraft and big aviation alike.
Unlike big aircraft (which can dodge big flocks at best), a drone is more maneuverable and could be able to dodge birds to some degree using some kind of camera technology. Of course, a bird may also intentionally attack a drone (they certainly attack my kites occasionally), which is a harder problem to solve.
These are challenges that have to be overcome with navigation, camera and drone-to-drone communication techniques as well as redundancy.
Before we can put a number estimating the statistical risks of drone traffic, it is premature to think about large scale commercial operations. I think that it's inevitable that we'll have such a number (ie. number of incidents per hours of drone flight), and we can utilize technologies that will bring that number down to acceptable levels (ie. near or below existing road and air traffic risks). When that happens, re-thinking this restriction (not necessarily lifting it) is due.
No, not with the current state of technology. That's why I think that this ban is in the right thing to do for the time being.
> I can predict immediately that birds and drones colliding will be one of the biggest problems
You're definitely right, bird strikes are a hazard for drones, model aircraft and big aviation alike.
Unlike big aircraft (which can dodge big flocks at best), a drone is more maneuverable and could be able to dodge birds to some degree using some kind of camera technology. Of course, a bird may also intentionally attack a drone (they certainly attack my kites occasionally), which is a harder problem to solve.
These are challenges that have to be overcome with navigation, camera and drone-to-drone communication techniques as well as redundancy.
Before we can put a number estimating the statistical risks of drone traffic, it is premature to think about large scale commercial operations. I think that it's inevitable that we'll have such a number (ie. number of incidents per hours of drone flight), and we can utilize technologies that will bring that number down to acceptable levels (ie. near or below existing road and air traffic risks). When that happens, re-thinking this restriction (not necessarily lifting it) is due.