What, Exactly, Happens When Drone Meets Head?

Drone360
By Lauren Sigfusson
Sep 21, 2017 11:27 PMNov 20, 2019 5:49 AM
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Watch out dummy, there's a drone coming at you! (Credit: Virginia Tech) Thanks to a dummy we now have a better idea of what happens when a drone hits a person’s head. A study by researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) one of the Federal Aviation Administration’s UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) test sites, suggests that commercial-sized drones can cause a wide range of injuries to people on the ground. In the United States, drone flights over people are not permitted. However, the FAA has been entertaining widespread adoption and grants waivers to some commercial operators. But in order for drones to fill the sky they must be able to fly over people. Before that can happen, policymakers need to understand the risks associated with drones hovering above the public, like potential injuries if one hurdles toward unsuspecting passers-by. Automobile safety, for example, has come a long way thanks to risk-based tests, according to the study. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH5uGNa-N4k

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