Small Business

Drones on the horizon

By Jason McCormick

March 8, 2013 / 2:19 PM EST / CBS News

ShadowHawk, an unmanned aircraft system — Vanguard Defense Industries, CBS

As the debate rages over the U.S. government's use of drones for military and other operations, unmanned vehicle technology is also starting to be used for a range of other applications, from law enforcement and agriculture to pipeline monitoring and commercial photography. Perhaps not surprisingly, law enforcement agencies are at the forefront of domestic use of unmanned aircraft systems. For example, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in Texas uses "ShadowHawk," a 29-pound unmanned helicopter with optional attachments such as a grenade launcher and shotgun. The mini-gunship outweighs the 25-pound limit for so-called "unmanned aerial systems," which is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Aerial video platform

HoverFlow, a Maine-based aerial filming and photography service, uses unmanned aircraft systems to capture high-definition film and photography. The company's GPS-guided unmanned aerial vehicles provide aerial footage from locations where even helicopters won't fly.

Scientific drone

Altair Integrated System Flight Demonstration Project — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, CBS

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration in April 2005 launched the Altair Integrated System Flight Demonstration Project. They use drones for climate research and nautical charting, among other uses.

Autonomous mapping rover

Chris Anderson, the CEO of 3D Robotics and a former editor in chief of Wired Magazine, and his team are designing the ArduRover as a development platform for a self-driving car. The robot can also map terrain, evaluate real estate, plan development projects and more.

Drones for kids

UAV technology is also showing up in toys. Parrot's AR Drone 2.0, which sells for $299.99 at Toys R Us, appears in this image.

City planning robot

This robot looks inside of bridges to ensure they're safe, inspecting them to see if any parts are deteriorating. According to Rutgers University, the prototype "is able to combine various data sets and render an almost instantaneous three-dimensional snapshot of bridge deck condition that is easy to interpret."

Autonomous farming equipment

Some so-called "autonomous" machines are designed to kill people. This one kills weeds. Blue River Technology says its system, slated for production later this year, is a weed-killing machine that offers an automated alternative to herbicides.

Jason McCormick

View all articles by Jason Henry McCormick on CBS MoneyWatch »

Jason is a producer with CBS MoneyWatch. Click here to contact him.

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