helped Tobey see the fires at night It sent real-time aerial footage to crews on the ground Tobey watched the fire There were many small bits of burning wood in the air Crews worried that they might start a new fire On one flight Tobey noticed INFRARED CAMERAS All objects give off infrared rays They are a type of light ray They cannot be seen without special equipment Warm objects give off more infrared rays than cold objects Infrared cameras detect these rays They convert the rays into images The color of the image is determined by its heat Hot areas such as fires glow brightly Infrared cameras on drones are a useful tool when it is hard to see They can see a victim even in smoky dark or foggy conditions something unusual A new area glowed on the infrared camera Tobey had discovered a new fire A NEW TOOL Crews quickly put out the fire that Tobey spotted before it spread This saved an estimated 50 million in damages But it could not have happened without
People can build their own drones or purchase them at electronics stores Tobey and his drone It was too dangerous for helicopters to fly over the area Smoke had reduced the visibility to 100 feet 30 m But the drone could fly
where helicopters could not It flew through the smoke It gave real-time data that saved lives Drones like the one used in the Umpqua fire have become more common Drones used to be expensive But new technology has made drones cheaper in recent years They are also easier to use People can even buy drones at electronics stores Drones come in many shapes and sizes But they all have one thing in common They are aircraft without pilots on board They are controlled from other places such as the ground This is why drones are commonly called unmanned aerial systems UASs LIVING WITH NEW TECH The Federal Aviation Administration FAA sets the rules for US airspace Drone pilots must follow FAA rules These rules are different for personal drones and commercial drones which are used in shipping and manufacturing By 2020 the FAA estimates that as many as 7 million drones will be sold each year But not
everyone likes the idea of more drones taking to the skies Some people worry that drones may invade their privacy They believe that drones will take photos or videos without their permission They also think drones might crash into things and become unsafe However drones have the potential to be the next major tech revolution They use a range of technology Radio waves join with cutting-edge flight controllers sensors and the Global Positioning FAA REGULATIONS In 2016 the FAA made rules for small Unmanned Aerial Systems sUASs They want to ensure people’s safety and privacy Drones must always remain in the visual line of sight VLOS of the pilot Generally drones may only fly at an altitude of 400 feet 122 m or less Drones cannot exceed 55 pounds 25 kg Additionally commercial drones may only be flown by a person with an FAA-issued remote pilot certificate System GPS to create powerful vehicles Many of today’s drones are small and portable Pilots can have
