The new US initiative allows the public to set up restricted airspace above their homes. We first heard about the scheme from TechCrunch.
As drones become more common outside of the traditional military sphere and with sales of unmanned aerial vehicles on the rise, drone manufacturers are becoming more aware of the need to respect individual privacy, NoFlyZone explains.
Who wants a random drone flying above their backyard while enjoying an afternoon nap or a family BBQ? Homeowners are increasingly worried about drones with cameras peering into their windows.
The NoFlyZone website works really simply. You enter your home address and provide some other basic information. The organisation then verifies your details and registers your address. GPS coordinates are logged in its database. Then, the organisation works with drone manufacturers to automatically prevent drones flying over registered houses by uploading the off-limit coordinates to the drone. The service is free.
It’s not clear whether a similar scheme will launch in the UK.
TechCrunch says that a number of device hardware and software firms have promised to honour requests for drone-free zones. Partners include the company behind the Ghost drone, EHANG, Horizon Hobby, and PixiePath.
NoFlyZone says there’s no guarantee that it can keep all drones from flying over your house, since the no-fly database only applies to drones made by operators through which the company has an agreement.
One question this raises is whether we actually own the sky above our properties. In this case, NoFlyZone says this isn’t an issue as “participants voluntarily agree to exclude their drones from overflying registrant’s properties.”
And don’t worry if you want to sign up now, but still want Amazon’s delivery drones to be able to drop off orders in the future. The company website explains that airspace over private land will become “customisable” when delivery drones become available.
The scheme follows rules laid out by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which restricts drones from flying over the White House. The airspace near airports and military bases is also off-limits. The need for no-fly zones became even more apparent last year after a mystery device crashed onto the White House lawn.
This article originally appeared in Business Insider. Copyright 2015.
