[liberationtech] Drones for Human Rights

[Nabiha Syed]

All --

Just wanted to chime in and say that we've created a list-serv -- the
drone-list -- for discussing and disseminating news about drones, whether
it be in the humanitarian relief space, military, journalism, surveillance,
or otherwise.

If you're interested, please do sign up here:
https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/drone-list

Nabiha

Nabiha Syed
First Amendment Fellow
The New York Times Company
620 8th Avenue
New York, NY  10018
Email: nabiha.syed at nytimes.com

Ph: 212-556-5187
Cell: 714-200-3983

On Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 8:34 PM, The Doctor <drwho at virtadpt.net> wrote:

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> On 02/02/2012 08:26 PM, Chip Pitts wrote:
> > A group at Singularity University here in Silicon Valley this past
> > summer launched a start-up that uses drones for humanitarian
> > applications, such as to deliver medical supplies in developing
> > countries lacking roads:
>
> I found the reference in question.
>
> It is in _Wired For War_ by Dr. P.W. Singer (hardback edition),
> chapter 13 (Open-Source Warfare: College Kids, Terrorists, and Other
> New Users of Robots at War).  In fact, the story opens the chapter,
> which I will summarize:
>
> In 2005 a newly graduated political science student named Sam Bell set
> out with two colleagues to buy a military-grade robotic weapons system
> for the purpose of intervening in the genocide in Darfur.  They raised
> approximately half a million US dollars in a year's time and, after
> looking into hiring a PMC (Private Military Contractor) to fly their
> UAVs on surveillance missions into Sudan, but balked at the price
> (around $200 million US dollars per year for such a contract).  They
> wound up not going with that plan because the risks outweighed the
> potential benefits.
>
> Apparently, PMCs own military-grade UAVs, and tailor the prices of
> their contracts to how old the models are.
>
> Looking up what GI-NET (Genocide Intervention NETwork) is up to these
> days may provide more useful information.
>
> I would also suggest that interested parties do some research on what
> the open source UAV community is up to these days - there are many
> projects publishing blueprints and source code for working units, from
> the Vulture to the OccuCopter.
>
> - --
> The Doctor [412/724/301/703]
>
> PGP: 0x807B17C1 / 7960 1CDC 85C9 0B63 8D9F  DD89 3BD8 FF2B 807B 17C1
> WWW: https://drwho.virtadpt.net/
>
> "The monster never sees the monster in the mirror." --J. Michael
> Straczynski
>
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