Although it may sound like straight from a sci-fi movie or book, the UK is about to complete a drone superhighway this summer. The world’s first drone superhighway, created by Altitude Angel, would bring airborne logistics to new heights and enable quick delivery across the country.
The 165-mile Skyway network, which links Coventry and Milton Keynes, would ensure effective and autonomous drone transportation without requiring human pilots. However, critics like Chris Cole of Drone Wars have expressed concerns about possible privacy invasions and safety risks to nearby towns.
Thirty “Arrow Towers” make up Altitude Angel’s infrastructure; they serve as ground-based command centers that allow drones to fly beyond visual lines of sight. A few initially proposed additional routes have been canceled due to difficulties in acquiring adequate infrastructure.
Assuming the expressway receives approval from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Altitude Angel claims it will have many advantages, including faster medical deliveries. Cole and other critics, nevertheless, assert that the project might have unfavorable effects, such as threats to public safety and abuse of privacy.
Uncertainties about collisions, noise pollution, and monitoring highlight the complex issues that come with drone superhighways. Altitude Angel’s critics are nonetheless concerned about the possible effects on private rights and public safety, even if the company highlights the low noise production of fixed-wing drones and restricted airspace usage.
Altitude Angel contends that using ground towers for navigation minimizes privacy issues, but others warn against the possible abuse of these surveillance capacities. It does not, however, state that cameras would not be prohibited on highways. One of the highway’s claimed use cases is remote surveying for ecological and construction projects.
Regulatory organizations such as the CAA are essential to maintain public trust in emerging drone technology and ensure safety and security.
In the long run, Altitude Angel stresses that although anyone within the flight path has their legal right to privacy, they would tackle any problems that may come their way.