Quieter drone technology aims to ease growing noise complaints
Delivery drones are becoming more common in the US and UK, but their distinctive buzzing is disrupting some residents’ daily lives. The growth of services such as Amazon Prime Air is prompting questions about how to balance faster deliveries with the effects of aircraft noise on communities.
North Garland resident Ashley Schmidt says drone noise has made her avoid her garden and local parks. Amazon is expanding Prime Air to nearly 500 US towns and cities, while the Federal Aviation Administration says operators and local leaders should address community concerns. London-based Greenjets says its enclosed-blade propulsion system can cut drone noise by at least two thirds, and is also used in policing, harbour security and conservation work.
In short
- Drone buzz is disrupting some residents’ lives.
- Amazon is expanding deliveries to nearly 500 US locations.
- Greenjets says its technology cuts noise by at least two thirds.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Quieter delivery drones could let people benefit from faster, more convenient deliveries while reducing disruption to residents and public spaces. If technologies such as enclosed-blade propulsion substantially reduce noise, they may help services expand with less impact on daily life, while retaining drones’ uses in policing, security and conservation.
The case against
Even quieter drones may add persistent aircraft noise and activity to neighbourhoods, parks and gardens, affecting residents who have little say over where or when they fly. Rapid commercial expansion could put delivery speed ahead of community consent, and proposed noise reductions may not remove the need for clear limits and local oversight.
Explained simply
Delivery drones are small aircraft that carry parcels from a local base to nearby homes. Companies such as Amazon are developing these services as a way to make some deliveries faster, but the aircraft can be heard as they fly over neighbourhoods.
Drone noise matters because repeated buzzing may affect how people use gardens and parks, as resident Ashley Schmidt says it has for her in North Garland, Texas. Greenjets, a London-based company, is developing enclosed-blade propulsion intended to make drones quieter; its systems are also used in policing, harbour security and conservation work.
In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration oversees civil aviation and says drone operators and local leaders should address community concerns. The wider issue is how to expand delivery and other drone services while accounting for their effects on people living nearby.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by BBC Technology as “‘An annoying buzz’: The search for stealthier drones”.