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Allen  Bento  Professor  John  Board  Cloud  Computing  26  April  2016              

             Drones:  A  Computing  Platform  of  The  Future?  

     

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Introduction  and  Overview    Since  the  concept  of  Unmanned  Aerial  Vehicles  (UAV)  or  Unmanned  Aerial  Systems  (UAS)   was   first   introduced,   when   the   term   “drone”   became   the   primary   adopted  name  for  them,  we  are  now  finding  that  this  technology  has  undergone  considerable  improvement.   Now   the   more   official   designations   are   UAV   and   UAS.   UAV   should  refer  to  the  vehicles  themselves  that  travel  in  the  air,  while  UAS  should  be  broader  in   scope   to   include   not   only   the  UAV,   but   also   any   infrastructure   and/or   systems  that  manage  them  as  well  as  any  other  devices  involved  in  the  entire  system  such  as  controllers.  The  stigma  associated  with  the  former  identifier,  “drone,”  which  is  still  used  by  many  outside  of  its  radius  of  interest,  should  seem  unfitting  by  now  to  those  within   its   circle.   Perhaps   a   new   name   is   what   it   needs   to   dissociate   it   from   its  negativity,   and   they   may   indeed   see   many   new   names   as   the   vast   array   of   their  applications   and  market   continue   to   broaden.  The  market’s   rate   of   growth,  which  seems  speedy  at  present,  makes  the  delayed  acceptance  by  the  general  public   into  everyday  life  somewhat  understandable.  The  realization  of  most  about  just  how  far  this   technology  has  come  is  quite   far  behind  the  technology   itself,  but   those  of   the  increasingly   prevailing   belief   in   UAV   know   why   their   popularity   is   on   the   rise.  Companies   who   see   a   niche   for   themselves   somewhere   in   the   drone   market,  currently  coming  into  form  before  us,  are  making  their  move  toward  this  promising  direction.   Many   of   them   see   success   in   the   form   of   partnership   with   other  companies.  Drones  are  at  the  intersection  of  many  paths  of  advancing  technology,  so  joining   with   another   company   to   move   into   the   drone   space   could   prove  advantageous  for  all  parties  involved.      Why   are   companies   branching   out   into   the   realm   of   drone   technology?  With   the  many   applications   for   drone   technology   in   various   industries,   companies   are  looking  to  position  themselves  on  the  cutting  edge  of  this  newly  rising  industry,  and  by   combining   the  capabilities   of   cloud  technology   with   the  versatility  of  what  drones  can   do,   the   sky   is   the  limit   as   far   as  what   uses  can   be   found   for   these  powerful   machines.  According   to   a   report   by  Business   Insider,   the  growth  of   the  market   for  civilian   drones   is   not  waiting   for   government  policy  on  the  matter  to  be  firmed   up,   and   neither  are   the   companies   from  various   industries   that   are  pouring  out   investment  and  effort   into  developing   this  

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new   market.   They   project   that   the   market   for   civilian   drones   should   grow   by   a  compound  annual  rate  of  19%  from  2015  to  2020.  They  expect  greater  growth  here  than  on  the  military  side  of  5%  during  that  span.  (See  Figure  1)    NASA  and  the  FAA  Looking  to  Manage  the  Rapid  Growth  of  Drones  by  Managing  the  Air  They  Fly  In    While   companies   in   the  market  do   their  best   to   exercise   foresight   in  what  will   be  most  lucrative  for  their  own  businesses,  many  of  them  by  partnering  up  with  other  companies,  the  organizations  and  agencies  to  whom  drones  are  equally  relevant  are  hurrying  to  do  their  part  to  keep  pace  with  this  market.  For  some  people,  images  of  robots  crowding  the  sky  above  may  be  invasive  thoughts  swaying  their  hearts  away  from   this   trend   of   growing   popularity,   but   the   National   Aeronautics   and   Space  Administration   and   the   Federal   Aviation   Administration   are   two   key   players  teaming   up   in   an   effort   to  manage   the   appearing   reality   of  what  was   once   just   a  futuristic  dream.  What  originated  as  a  negative   image   for  some  may  see   increased  adoption  as  people  learn  how  safe  and  beneficial  these  flying  robots  can  be  in  their  personal  lives.    Safety   is   one   concentrated   effort   among   several   that   NASA   and   the   FAA   are  collaborating   in  and   it   is   the  motivation   for   the  Safe  Autonomous  Systems  project.  NASA  has  demonstrated  its  willingness  for  collaboration  by  issuing  a  call  last  year  to  all  government,  industry,  and  academic  partners  to  join  them  in  identifying  research  areas   and   conducting   the   research   necessary   to   accelerate   development   of   a   UAS  management   system.   It   looks   to   specifically   develop   a   cloud-­‐based   unmanned  aircraft  traffic  management  (UTM)  system.  The  goal  of  this  system  is  to  collect  and  deliver  key  information  to  UAS  and  their  operators  while  it  is  in  flight  and  to  do  so,  as  much   as   possible,   in   real   time.   As   set   forth   in   a   tech   brief   from  NASA   entitled  ‘Drone   Control:   Flying   the   Crowded   Skies,’   one   of   NASA’s   goals   in   working   with  others   to   develop   UTM   is   that   it   would   “bridge   the   gap   between   commercial  innovation  and  NASA’s  air  traffic  management  research.”  By  working  together  with  companies  that  provide  their  own  vehicles,  radar,  radio  frequencies,  and  cellphone  towers,   NASA   is   gaining   exposure   to  much   of   the   technology   being   used   already.  They   believe   this   should   help   them   make   the   use   of   their   UTM   system   more  enterable   for   the   companies   driving   innovation.   This   project   is   actually   well  underway,   as  NASA  was  able   to   complete  a   successful  demonstration  of  UTM   in  a  rural  setting  near  the  end  of   last  year.  The  step  following  this   is   to  run  other  tests  and  simulations  at  FAA  test  sites  to  further  validate  the  system.    Since   collaboration  with   other   companies   began,   NASA   has   been   discovering   that  many   of   its   challenges   are   already   being   addressed.   One   of   its   collaborators   has  developed  a  system  that  checks  a  UAS’s  battery  life  while  surveying  the  surrounding  terrain.  This  could  alleviate  the  concern  of  a  UAS  running  out  of  power  at  the  wrong  place  and  the  wrong  time.  Another  is  working  on  a  database  designed  to  keep  UAS  away   from   private   residences.   As   with   many   powerful   tools   being   used   for   the  

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wrong   purposes,   this   would   deter   those   who   would   abuse   the   use   of   drones,  especially  from  using  it  as  a  means  of  enabling  their  eyes  to  see  beyond  what  they  should.  This  is  one  of  the  common  causes  of  apprehensiveness  among  those  of  the  general  public.   It  would  also  address  the  key  issue  of  safety.  Along  that  vein,  other  companies   have   launched   prototypes   for   low-­‐altitude   tracking   and   avoidance  systems.   As   long   as   such   technologies   are   approved   according   to   federal  requirements,  NASA  looks  to  bolster  up  its  own  ongoing  work  by  assimilating  all  the  current  research  already  in  progress.  Cellphone  tower  technology  may  alleviate  one  of  the  greatest  challenges  behind  integrating  UAS  into  the  National  Airspace  (NAS),  especially  for  cases  where  UAV  navigate  outside  of  the  line-­‐of-­‐sight  of  its  operator.  NASA  is  working  with  Verizon  to  search  out  how  well  a  cellphone  tower  can  track  and   monitor   both   civilian   drones   and   commercial   drones.   This   could   set   the  foundation  for  a  system  that  enables  all  aircraft  to  see  and  be  seen  by  other  aircraft,  especially  at  low  altitudes.    NASA’s  overall  work  in  traffic  management  seeks  to  enable  such  low-­‐altitude  use  of  UAV   by   providing   pilots   information   needed   to   maintain   proper   separation   from  other  UAV.  The  vision   for   this   system   involves  drones   reserving  areas   for   specific  routes   through   the   cloud   while   accounting   for   restricted   airspace   and   weather  conditions.   Engineers   are   at   work   to   develop   the   cloud-­‐based   software   tools   for  UTM  and  are  doing  so  according  to  a  four  level  plan,  spanning  from  the  present  time  until   2019,   giving   NASA   what   it   considers   to   be   ample   time   for   completion.   The  levels  are  progressive  and  each  level  will  have  had  its  foundation  laid  by  the  work  done  in  the   level  before   it.  Level  one,  which  focuses  on  rural  environments,  would  implement   the   reservation   of   areas   for   flight   paths   of   specific   operations   with  situational  awareness.  Level  two,  projected  for  October  of  this  year,  will  advance  to  address  applications  that  go  beyond  the  line-­‐of-­‐sight  of  the  drone  operator,  and  will  be   carried  out  mainly   in   areas  with   sparse  populations.   Level   three  will   involve   a  shift  toward  UAS  tracking  capabilities,  of  both  cooperative  UAV  and  uncooperative  UAV.   In   keeping  with   the   trend   of   its   preceding   stages,   it  will   progress   into   even  more   populated   areas,   and   is   planned   for   January   of   2018.   And   finally   level   four,  projected  to  become  fully  functional  in  2019,  will  be  designed  for  densely  populated  areas  and  for  autonomous  vehicles  with  a  view  toward  the  specific  applications  of  news  coverage  and  delivery  of  goods.      The   Langley  Autonomy   and  Robotic   Center   (LARC)   at   Langley  Research  Center   in  Hampton,   Virginia   is   home   to   NASA   engineers   working   to   perfect   drone   control  systems.   Engineers   at   Langley   are   essentially   trying   to   improve   the   drones  themselves  and  the  control  system  of  the  skies  they  travel  while  the  FAA  is  sorting  out  regulations  facilitating  the  increase  of  drone  use.  The  FAA’s  efforts  to  do  so  are  well  demonstrated  by  one  of  the  recent  steps  forward,  which  came  in  December  of  2015,  when  it  determined  that  all  owners  of  drones  weighing  between  a  half-­‐pound  and   55   pounds,   and  who   are   13   years   of   age   or   older,   must   register   their   drone  online  with  the  FAA.  So  to  meet  the  growing  need,  NASA  has  assembled  engineers,  who   have   decades   of   experience   developing   safe   and   robust   systems   used   in  cockpits   and   satellites,   in   the   hope   that   the   same   fervency   and   knowledge   can   be  

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applied  in  this  area  to  produce  an  equally  safe  and  robust  system  for  the  UAS.  Other  engineers  at  Langley  are  taking  advanced  measures  toward  the  restriction  of  certain  areas  of  airspace,  as  referred  to  earlier,  and  will  eventually  employ  Safeguard  in  that  endeavor,   a   prototype   small   enough   to   mount   on   a   small   drone   and   a   further  advancement  of  geo-­‐fencing  already  being  used  in  some  commercial  drones.  This  is  to  keep  drones  out  of  “no-­‐fly  zones.”  Among  the  other  technologies  being  developed  and   applications   being   specifically   targeted   for   research   are   hand   and   gesture  control   systems   and   services   including   spotting   wildfires,   algae   monitoring,   and  weather   forecasting.   The  weather   forecasting   in   this   case  would   not   be   solely   for  flight  control  purposes  but  also  for  the  sake  of  weather  forecasting  itself.    Other   Langley   personnel   are   already   working   on   technology   to   integrate   drones  large  enough  for  human  cargo  into  air  transportation.  Before  this  could  happen,  they  must  be  in  compliance  with  FAA  regulations  to  reliably  detect  the  presence  of  other  aircraft   and  avoid   them.  This   is  one  of   the  most   challenging  projects   that   those  at  Langley  are  working  on.  While  drones  do  not  have  much  deficiency  in  the  collection  of  data  through  various  sensors,  what  is  hard  to  replicate  is  the  function  of  a  pilot’s  eyes   to   process   the   information   gathered   and   know   how   to   act   accordingly.   This  application  may  not  see  public  acceptance  immediately,  especially  as  the  idea  of  an  autonomous   robot   transporting  people   by   air   is   a   foreign   concept   and  unlikely   to  warrant   much   trust   at   its   initial   inception.   But   NASA   has   a   dedicated   team  specifically  working  toward  this,  called  the  Sense  and  Avoid/Separation  Assurance  Interoperability   (SSI)   team.   NASA   sees  what   it   believes   are   the   initial   stages   of   a  framework  to  keep  UAV  clear  of  other  aircraft.    This   team   is   working   on   detect-­‐and-­‐avoid   algorithms,   specifically,   the   DAIDALUS  algorithm  or  Detect  and  Avoid  Alerting   for  Unmanned  Systems  algorithm.  What   is  notable  about  DAIDALUS  is  that  it  not  only  passively  relays  data  it  has  collected,  but  also   devises   escape   routes   to   specifically   avoid   objects   drawing   near   and   relays  those   to   the  operator.  The  FAA  would   require   that  DAIDALUS-­‐operated  UAV  keep  well  clear  of  other  flying  objects,  even  up  to  the  standard  that  air  traffic  controllers  would   consider   to   be   a   comfortable   distance.   The   difficulty   is   that   engineers  developing   the   software   for   these   systems  cannot  quantify   the  FAA’s   standards   in  order   to   design   it   according   to   such   standards.   Even   for   the   FAA   to   provide   a  quantifiable  definition  of  their  standard  of  safe  distance  would  not  be  an  easy  task,  for  to  do  so  would  come  as  the  result  of  concrete  studies  that  ensure  that  the  data  they  provide  actually  reflects  what  is  safe.    Much   to   the   relief   of   an   already   busy   FAA   staff,   NASA   has   done   this   research  themselves.  They  have  also  provided  the  results  to  the  FAA,  a  contribution  that  has  significantly   furthered   the   FAA’s   development   of   Minimum   Operational  Performance  Standards  for  UAS,  according  to  Keith  Arthur,  a  co-­‐project  engineer  at  Langley.  The  results  include  what  those  air  traffic  controllers  involved  in  the  study  considered   to   be   comfortable   distance   for   clearance.   The   vertical   clearance   was  defined  as  500  feet,  and  the  horizontal,  as  approximately  1.5  nautical  miles.    “NASA  has   taken   a   nebulous   concept   –   well   clear   –   and   come   up   with   an   elegant  

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mathematical  solution  for  it  that  can  be  implemented  in  software,”  Arthur  said.  This  facilitates  the  development  of  software  with  bounds  set  according  to  clearly  defined  metrics  that  have  been  validated  through  actual  testing  simulations.    Langley  has  not  concluded  their  testing  though.  At  Langley’  s  Air  Traffic  Operations  Lab  (ATOL),  researchers  are  using  simulated  airspace  to  test  whether  UAV  equipped  with  detect  and  avoid  capabilities  and  aircraft  manned  by  persons  aboard  the  craft  can   be  managed   in   the   same   airspace   by   an   air   traffic   controller,   an   even   further  step   toward   integrating   UAS   into   National   Airspace.   After   attending   those  simulations   as   an   eye   witness,   Ed   Waggoner,   the   director   of   NASA’s   Integrated  Aviation   Systems   Program  Office   and   the   one  who   oversees   UAV   integration   into  National   Airspace,   has   made   impressive   remarks   about   his   observations.   Indeed  Waggoner   renders  his   own  endorsement  of   the  work  done  at  ATOL,   saying   “what  they   showed  me   was   something   that   provides   the   pilot   precise   decision   support  information  and  I  truly  believe  this  technology  can  work  in  our  National  Airspace.”  Waggoner   sees   the   progress   of   integrating   UAS   into   National   Airspace   as   “what’s  happening   in   aviation   right   now.”   Lauding   the   team’s   contribution   and   key   role,  Waggoner   said,   “We’re   providing   the   research   for   [the   regulators   at   the   FAA],   to  make  the  rules  that  are  going  to  make  the  skies  safe  for  the  commercial  application  of  UAS.”      Intel   and   Qualcomm,   Two   Prominent   Chip   Companies   Making  Their  Move  into  Drone  Space    Companies   such   as   Intel   and  Qualcomm  are  moving   into   the  drone   space   and   are  among  the  more  prominent  tech  companies  who  have  made  a  move  toward  drones.  While  Qualcomm  has   plans   to   expand   into   this   realm  by   building   its   own  drones,  Intel  has  acquired  a  German  drone-­‐making  company,  Ascending  Technologies,  and  this   comes  on   the  heels  of   a  60-­‐million-­‐dollar   investment   for   a   stake   in   a  Chinese  drone-­‐making  company,  Yuneec.  Its  partnership  with  Ascending  Technologies  forms  a   “dynamic   duo”   that   is   creating  quite   a   “buzz”   these   days   in   the  tech   business   world.   Ascending  Technologies,   a   company   already  well  known   in   the  drone  world  as  a   leading   developer/manufacturer  of   autopilot   systems,   unmanned  aircraft   systems,   and   multi-­‐rotor  technology,   has   already   left   its  footprint   in   a   few   areas   of  application,   particularly   civil   and  research.   It   may   well   be  remembered  as  the  first   to  set  the  bar   in  producing   light  paintings   in  a  fully  automated  fashion.  (See  Figure  2)  This  nifty  trick  is  carried  out  through  the  

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use   of   a   flight   planning   software   called   AscTech   Navigator,   which   can   drive   an  AscTec  Falcon  8,  a  patented  V-­‐form  drone  equipped  with  a  mounted  LED,   to  carry  out  its  flight  path  autonomously.  A  camera  which  is  set  to  leave  its  shutters  open  for  long  exposure  then  captures  the  flight  of  the  drone  on  video,  leaving  glowing  trails  along  its  flight  path,  creating  a  “painting”  in  the  form  of  its  flight  path  which  appears  as  a  vector-­‐like  drawing  or  the  spelling  out  of  a  readable  message.  The  “painting”  is  made   by   the   drone’s   flight   path.   Intel   certainly   envisions  many  more   applications  that  it  can  develop  technology  for  with  the  addition  of  Ascending  Technologies.      Intel  had  already  begun  working  to  combine  two  of  its  own  technologies,  its  sense-­‐and-­‐avoid   algorithms   with   its   depth-­‐sensing   technology,   called   RealSense.  RealSense   technology  combines  hardware  and  software   to  allow  cameras   to  sense  depth,  giving  drones  “computer  vision,”  the  ability  to  process  images.  Having  joined  forces  with  Ascending  Technologies,  a  company  that  has  begun  a  pioneering  work  in  both  sensor  data  and   flight  altitude  control,   seems   to  have  promising  possibilities.  Ascending   Technologies,   already   at   the   forefront   of   autopilot   software   and  algorithms   for   its   drones,   being   added   to   the   team   should   help   Intel   deploy   their  depth-­‐sensing   technology   into   the  drone  market.  The  collaborative  effort  between  the  existing  employees  at  Ascending  Technologies  and  Intel’s  Perceptual  Computing  team   has   Josh   Walden,   Intel’s   general   manager   for   their   new   technology   group,  confident  that  the  team  will  “develop  UAV  technology  that  can  help  drones  fly  with  more  awareness  of  their  environments.”  Seeing  the  usefulness  of  such  a  benefit  in  a  variety  of  applications  plus  the  current  rate  of  growth  in  this  market,  indications  are  that  now  is  a  good  time  to  have  a  player  like  Ascending  Technologies  on  your  team.    Such  hefty  investments  and  bold  moves  by  leading  chip  companies  in  the  direction  of   drone   space   have   both   drawn   great   interest   and   turned   the   heads   of   other  companies,   leading   them   to   consider  what   the   fuss   is   about  and  whether   they   too  should   make   a   preemptive   move   in   the   direction   of   drone   space.   Many   chip  companies   will   likely   follow   in   this   train   as   they   see   the   opportunity   to   become  technology  suppliers  in  the  emerging  industry  of  drones.    What   then   is   all   the   fuss   about,   causing   companies   to   go   this   way?  Walden,   sees  drones   as   an   important   computing   platform   of   the   future.   With   Ascending  Technologies   coming   into   the   picture,   Intel   has   plans   to   produce   highly   efficient  drones,  capable  of  producing  high-­‐resolution  aerial   images  of  a  wide  variety,   from  stills  and  videos  to  thermals,  and  multispectrals.  They  can  also  capture  geo  data  and  be   quite   useful   in   research   and   development.   Intel   is   a   company   that   has  undoubtedly  made  a  name  for  itself  in  the  PC  business,  but  that  market  is  cooling  off,  leading  them  and  companies  like  them  seeking  to  apply  their  technology  elsewhere.  Intel   and   Qualcomm   alike   would   be   looking   for   other   buyers   of   its   processors.  Drones  have  various  practical  applications,  and  many  more  to  be  fathomed  at  some  time   along   the   way,   but   some   of   the   more   prominent   applications   now   drawing  focus  for  further  development  are  disaster  response,  infrastructure  inspection,  and  among  the  more  talked-­‐about  though  still  a  way  off,  is  the  transportation  of  goods.  With   these   in   view   and   more   to   pop   up   in   the   future,   companies   like   Intel   are  

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looking   to   also   integrate   multiple   technologies   like   computing,   communications,  sensors,  and  the  cloud.  This  will  help  make  drones  both  smarter  devices  and  able  to  work  better  together  as  one  fleet.    Companies  such  as  Qualcomm  and  Intel  are   indeed  blazing  the  path  for  other  tech  companies   into   a   slew   of   possibilities.   In   2015,   Qualcomm   unveiled   a   new  technology   called   Snapdragon   Flight,   a   system   kept   on   a   chip   that   was   designed  specifically  for  flying  robots.  The  chip  contains  a  2.26  GHz  quad-­‐core  processor  that  runs  on  digital  signals  providing  real-­‐time  flight  control,  as  well  as  WiFi,  Bluetooth,  and   GPS   capabilities.   They   revealed   plans   to   produce   a   modified   version   of   the  Snapdragon   chip   specifically   for   drones.   This   technology   has   also   drawn   the  attention  of  Chinese  company,  Yuneec.  Yuneec  and  another  Chinese  company  Tecent  Holdings  Limited,  both  in  the  drone-­‐making  business  have  announced  plans  to  build  drones  based  on  Snapdragon  Flight.  Qualcomm  envisions  that  with  such  technology  actuating  them,  drones  will  become  something  seen  nearly  everywhere  in  the  near  future.   After   its   entrance   into   the   drone   market   with   the   launch   of   Snapdragon  Flight   in   September   of   2015,   it   now   looks   to   assert   itself   as   a   benchmark   in   the  industry   by   developing   this   as   a   standard   platform   for   many   drone  makers.   One  company   that   Qualcomm   is   expected   to   face   competition   from   as   they   enter   the  drone   chip  market   space   is  Ambarella,   a   company  holding   the   advantage  of   being  the  first  to  enter  the  space.  Ambarella  makes  image  application  processors  for  two  prominent  occupants  of  drone  space-­‐  market  leader  DJI  Innovations  from  China  and  action  camera  maker  GoPro.  However,  speculation  holds   that  GoPro   is  planning  to  use   Qualcomm’s   Snapdragon   Flight   platform   rather   than   Ambarella’s   chipset   in  building  a  camera  drone  device,  Karma.  This  will  be  the  advent  of  such  devices  for  GoPro,  and  they  are  set  to  launch  this  year.  One  of  the  key  factors  of  this  favoring  of  Qualcomm’s   platform   is   its   4k   camera   support   and   extended   battery   life   at   a  reduced  cost.  Ambarella’s  market  cap  of  $1.3  billion  compared  to  Qualcomm’s  share  buy-­‐back   program   in   2015   worth   $15   billion   even   makes   Ambarella   a   potential  acquisition  target   for  Qualcomm.  Intel  will  of  course  stand  as  a   formidable  rival   to  Qualcomm,   but   drones   having   not   seen   widespread   adoption   up   until   now   gives  Qualcomm  legitimate  hope  to  capture  a   large  portion  of  the  market   for  chipsets   in  drones.     In   the   early   stages   of   this   industry’s   growth,   competition   between  companies   drives   them   each   to   establish   themselves   through   creativity   in  innovation.   Many   should   enter   this   competition   as   time   goes   on   and   more  applications  are  discovered  that  drones  are  well  suited  for.  Even  chip  maker,  Nvidia  has   developed   the   Jetson   TX1,   a   tiny   computer   with   the   capacity   to   do   machine  learning,  a  good  example  of  computing  onboard  the  UAV  itself.  So  it  is  only  a  matter  of  time  before  drones  become  compact  enough  to  use  more  powerful  technology  in  applications  already  being  used  as  well  as  new  applications.    Applications  For  the  Foreseeable  Future  and  Beyond    One   area   certainly   in   view   for   the   short   term   is   the   already   growing   market   for  consumer  drones  used   for  photography.  At   the  current   time   there   seems   to  be  no  

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shortage   of   people   taking   photographs,   making   this   one   of   the   more   immediate  areas   in   view   for   chip   companies   going   this  way.   This   both   points   to   a  work   that  Qualcomm   is   doing   to   mitigate   a   potential   problem   area   and   the   very   relevant  business  angle  of  the  subject-­‐  lowering  cost  for  people  to  actually  buy  your  product.  Multiple   chips   are   needed   to   handle   the   tasks   of   photography,   navigation,   and  communications.   This   adds   to   the   bulk   and   subsequent   cost   of   today’s   consumer  drones.   One   of   Qualcomm’s   Snapdragon   800   is   able   to   do   all   of   these.   A   typical  consumer  drone  today  would  contain  radio  antennae,  a  camera,  and  some  sensors  separately  packed  into  it.  Qualcomm  is  looking  to  counter  the  problem  this  poses  by  an  initiative  involving  collaboration  with  a  start-­‐up  mentorship  program-­‐  Techstars.  The  collaboration  is  called  Qualcomm  Robotics  Accelerator.  Following  the  pattern  of  smartphones’   and   computers’  miniaturization   during   their   own   times,   the   goal   of  this  collaboration  is  “to  kickstart  the  next  wave  of  innovation  by  removing  points  of  resistance”  according  to   its   leader  Houman  Haghighi.  This   is   the  “other  side  of   the  coin”   in   business   besides   simply   making   things   more   powerful   and   capable.  Qualcomm  has  put   this   initiative   into  motion  by   inviting  10   startup   companies   to  move   onto   its   San   Diego   campus   for   the   summer  with   plans   to   invest  more   than  $100,000   in   each   of   the   10   start-­‐ups   that  were   carefully   selected   after   evaluating  applications   from  40  different  countries.  The  range  of  work  among   the  companies  includes   an   application   in   law   enforcement,   long-­‐range   flight,   and   drone   charging  stations.  Two  companies  have  robots  that  move  things,  one  through  a  computerized  dolly  and  the  other  through  a  motorized  arm.  The  work  being  done  by  the  different  companies   is   various.   One   is  working   on   such   a   practical   use   as   a   solar-­‐powered  light   that   tracks   the   sun’s   movement   to   maximize   efficiency   while   another   is  developing  new  software   to   further  develop   robots,   just   to  name  a   few.  By   such  a  careful  selection  process  and  specific  areas  of  focus,  it  is  evident  that  Qualcomm  has  special   plans   with   drones.   With   current   entry-­‐level   drones   going   for   about   500  dollars,   Senior   Vice   President   of   Product   Management   at   Qualcomm,   Raj   Talluri,  believes   they   “should   be   able   to   bring   the   cost   of   drones   down   significantly.”  Actually   those   at  Qualcomm  believe   the   cost   of   drones   can  be   cut   by  hundreds  of  dollars.   This   kind   of   consideration   poses   the   real   question   companies   are   asking  themselves-­‐  will  the  average  person  have  the  means  and  willingness  to  pay  for  such  a  product?  There  is  little  doubt  that  these  “chip  giants”  can  produce  a  drone  capable  of  doing  awesome  things.  In  fact,  the  company  itself  as  a  whole  is  in  the  midst  of  an  effort  to  cut  $1.4  billion  in  annual  operating  expenses  as  well  as  to  reduce  the  size  of  its  workforce  by  15  percent.  This   view   is   another   that  Talluri   touched  upon   in  an  interview   in   which   he   discussed   opportunities   for   taking   Qualcomm’s   technology  into   new   areas.   Though   scaling   back   costs   is   in   its   plans,   Talluri   assured   that  Qualcomm  is  “not  scaling  back  on  those  kinds  of  things.”      It  would  be  surprising  to  discover  that  chip  companies  don’t  already  have  their  eyes  on  future  auto   industry  applications.  Autonomous  drones  are  being  equipped  with  much  of  the  fundamental  technology  that  would  apply  to  driverless  cars.  Computer  vision  must  be   incorporated  with   artificial   intelligence,   as  well   as   the   capacity   for  positioning  and  navigation.  The  sooner  companies  can  develop  and  test  these  things  

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in  the  real  world,  the  sooner  we  may  see  an  entirely  new  line  of  business  take  off  the  ground.    A   Comparative   Look   at   Air   and   Ground   Transportation   and   the  Times  in  which  They  Emerged    Since   the   rise   of   automotive   technology   and   the   subsequent   development   of   a  ground   transportation   infrastructure   to  harness   this   technology,   companies  at   the  forefront   of   innovation   have   been   able   to   learn   from   the   several   decades   of   the  automotive   industry’s   progress.   Perhaps   due   to   the   lack   of   a   former   point   of  reference   and   the   absence   of   necessary   technology   up   to   that   point,   the  infrastructure  to  maximize  efficiency  and  safety  in  ground  travel  is  not  widely  seen  today.   Not   that   it   couldn’t   still   be   developed,   but   the   implementation   of   a  way   of  autonomous  transportation  is  comparable  to  reversing  the  direction  of  a  very  large  ship,  so  it  would  be  difficult  to  recover  this  opportunity  with  ground  travel  in  a  swift  manner   given   the   current   system   in   place.   Although   there   is   the   technology   and  vision  for  such  a  system  is  in  sight,  most  drivers  would  not  want  to  relinquish  their  freedom  to  man  their  own  automobiles,  so  only  certain  elements  of  an  entire  system  of  great  potential  are  emerging  in  the  automotive  industry.  Cars  that  have  the  ability  to   detect   the   danger   of   oncoming   objects   and   automatically   apply   the   brakes   and  cars   that   can   parallel-­‐park   themselves   just   provide   a   window   into   how   these  technologies  are  starting  to  make  their  way   into   this   industry.  Though  automotive  companies   lacked   the   foresight   to   lay  a   foundation   for  such  an   infrastructure,   it   is  feasible   that   automobiles   could   be   increasingly   plugged   into   a   cloud   where   their  ground   travel   would   be   integrated   with   other   moving   vehicles,   resulting   in   a  harmonious  world   of  moving   ground   traffic,   a  more   efficient   and   safer   system   of  travel   achieved   through   the   elimination   of   human   error   and   reaction   time.   This  seems   to   be   where   the   general   trend   is   leading   and   with   a   little   help   of   our  imagination   and   the   technology   we   see   being   used   in   both   this   and   flying   drone  applications,  we  can  extrapolate  upon  our  view  of  automobiles  and  see  the  potential  of   a   fully   automated   system  with   cars   including   all   of   these   new   abilities,  making  ground  travel  both  more  efficient  and  safer.  However,  such  a  transition  would  likely  occur  slowly.   It  will  be   interesting   to  see  whether   the   innovators  at   the  dawn  of  a  potential  era  of  common  air   transportation  will  exercise  more   foresight   than  their  ground  transportation  predecessors.      The   arrival   of   travel   by   air   on   the   scene   of   human   technology   has   been   different  from  that  of  travel  by  ground  though  in  a  few  key  ways.  For  one,  air  travel,  given  the  inherent  risks  associated  with  it  along  with  the  greater  skills  involved  in  operating  a  plane   have   made   air   travel   more   special   and   more   of   a   luxury   than   a   common  commodity   for   every-­‐day   use   by   the   average   person.   Thus   the   use   of   aircraft   has  been   limited   mainly   to   military   and   commercial   applications   usually   for  transporting  larger  amounts  of  cargo  greater  distances  at  a  time.  But  with  UAV  now  arriving   on   the   scene,   we   could   be   on   the   brink   of   not   only   a   breakthrough   in  various  applications  with  commercial  industries,  but  even  our  typical  way  of  travel  

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could   end   up   being   totally   revolutionized   by   the   time   this   industry’s   growth  blossoms   into   fruition.   If   the   race   toward   establishing   a   standard   platform   for  automated   aerial   flight   control   is   reached   and   especially   if   it   is   reached   in   such   a  way  that  drones  can  carry  out  their  missions  autonomously  without  the  control  of  humans   or   with   at   least   limited   human   monitoring,   we   could   see   not   only   a  significant  boom  in  the  use  of  drones  for  various  commercial  applications  but  UAS  could  even  pave  the  way  for  a  system  of  travel  that  all  but  replaces  that  of  ground  automobiles.   If   such   speculations  have   any  basis   in   reality,   then   the   current   stage  may   be   a   very   pivotal   one,   and   how   autonomous   air   travel   infrastructure   is  established  here  at  the  outset  could  set  the  course  for  its  future  in  one  direction  or  the  other.    By  virtue  of  the  increased  efficiency  alone,  people  may  be  forced  to  jump  on  the  air-­‐travel   bandwagon   for   most   of   their   everyday   travels,   if   such   an   infrastructure   is  successfully  created.  Due  to  the  speed  of  planes  over  vehicles  that  roam  the  ground,  air   travel   is   smoother  and  more  efficient.   Furthermore,   there   is  more  airspace   for  transportation  than  ground  space.  Many  countries  are  encountering  the  problem  of  a   lack   of   space   to   accommodate   the   number   of   cars   on   the   road   and   seeking  immediate  solutions  to  this  problem.  (See  Figure  3)  Furthermore,  there  is  no  need  to   add   new   “lanes”   for   air   travel,   only   to   build   the   computing   infrastructure   that  would  set  the  governing  boundaries  for  these  vehicles’  flight  travel,  a  building  work  

whose   limitations   lie  only   in   the   steps   of  innovation.    If   innovators   now  exercise   foresight,  looking   into   the   future  of   air   travel,   the   stage  could  be  set  for  efficient  air   transportation   that  is   totally   autonomous,  even  though  we  are  not  quite  at  the  cusp  of  such  

an  era.  This  could  end  up  being   the  only  means   through  which  people   fly,  besides  existing  commercial  airline  travel  with  trained  pilots,  by  virtue  only  of  how  risky  it  is  to  allow  people  to  operate  aerial  vehicles.  When  these  factors  are  combined  with  the  efficiency   that  would  result   from  computers  being   in  control  of  aircraft   rather  than   humans,   we   could   see   a   monumental   shift   in   the   way   people   transport  themselves.   In   light  of   the  possibilities   explored  about  autonomous  ground   travel,  and   given   that   drones,   by   definition,   encompass  more   than   just   unmanned   aerial  vehicles,  we  may   have   only   seen   the   beginning   of   the   spawning   of   ideas   for   how  drone  technology  can  change  the  world  of  transportation  as  we  know  it.        

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 The  Usefulness  of  Cloud  Technology  Being  Employed  with  Drones    Companies  are  also  looking  into  the  possibilities  of  a  cloud-­‐based  service  capable  of  managing   and   planning   UAV   missions.   Cloud   Robotics   is   an   emerging   paradigm  where   robots   are   able   to   connect   to   a   common   network   with   an   infrastructure  complex   enough   to   share   the   information   they   gather   or   to   consume   the   data  collected.  This  technology  opens  up  the  possibility  for  one  to  have  their  “presence”  in  a  place  without  being  physically  there,  and  especially  for  scenarios  where  this  is  advantageous  for  some  purposeful  use.  This  would  not  be  the  first  time  anyone  has  seen   the  duty  of   a  person  carrying  out   a   certain   task  being   replaced  by  a   robot,   a  consequence   of   developing   technology   with   the   capability   of   performing   human  tasks,  in  many  cases  more  effectively  than  the  human.  Greater  efficiency  makes  for  better  business  in  most  cases  and  if  a  robot  can  perform  a  task  as  well  as,  or  better  than  a  human,  it  will  almost  invariably  be  the  more  cost-­‐efficient  and  often  the  more  time-­‐efficient  too.  For  this  reason,  companies  often  favor  this  and  will  resort  to  this  option.    However,   there  are  several  applications  where  efficiency  with  respect   to   time  and  cost  are  not  the  only  factors  on  the  table  for  consideration,  and  ones  in  which  other  factors  bear  more  weight   in  the  discussion,  also  driving  the   implementation  of   the  use   of   such   robots.   Thus   in   several   applications   in  which   drones   are   emerging   as  useful   devices,   an  opportunity   is   emerging   to   carry  out  missions  not   so   fitting   for  humans  or  even  ones  that  humans  cannot  perform.    One   example  of   this   is   the  use  of   cloud-­‐based   systems   for   emergency   response   in  wake  of  a  disaster.  In  the  event  of  a  disaster,  it  may  be  very  difficult  for  officials  to  respond  with   ample   immediacy,   but   a  Quadrotor  UAV,   for   example,   can   go  places  that  humans  cannot  go  or  at   least   that  humans  cannot  navigate  about  quickly  and  easily.  A  drone  can  provide  a  perspective  of  a  situation  outside  of  the  line-­‐of-­‐sight  of  human  responders,  and  it  can  locate  people  in  need  of  help  and  provide  their  exact  location,  directing  search  and  rescue  missions  toward  places  they  are  truly  needed.  In  some  cases  it  can  even  bring  useful  resources  to  those  in  need.  A  cloud  platform  can  manage  several  UAV  that  provide  support  to  those  citizens  per  request  through  a  mobile  app  dedicated  for  such  use.  The  requested  UAV  would  reach  the  citizen  and  provide   video   streaming   over   the   cloud   to   some  privileged   user   connected   to   the  same  cloud  platform.  The  same  information  gathered  by  video  or  other  sensors  can  be  accessed  via   smartphones,   thus   the  addition  of  a   cloud-­‐based  platform   for  UAS  can  make  entire  cities  “smart”  and  more  connected,  especially  connecting  people  to  the  help  they  need  in  some  situations.    

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A   very   similar   platform   has   been   proposed   for   emergency   services   provided   to  civilians  in  need  within  a  city  in  the  event  of  criminal  activity.  According  to  this  idea,  a  user  would  first  request  the  service  that  is  immediately  forwarded  to  the  platform.  The   platform   would   transform   and   translate   the   request   into   a   mission.   Then,  depending  on  the  nature  of  the  request,  the  message  would  be  sent  to  either  a  single  UAV   or   a   swarm   of  them.   In   a   paper  formally   proposing  such   a   service   by  ResearchGate,   two  interfaces   are  introduced-­‐   one  on   the  user  side  for  requesting  help   from   a   UAV   by  providing   GPS  coordinates   with   a  phone   ID   and   one   for  the   police   to   monitor  and   manage   the  situation   accordingly.   The   first   interface,   an   Android  mobile   app,   would   send   the  relevant  information  over  HTTP  protocol  through  a  GET  request.  The  second  would  allow   someone   in   the  police   force   to   access   all   information  made  available  by   the  UAV,  collected  by  telemetry  and  video  streaming  over  the  web.  The  web  page  shows  the   actual   location   of   the   UAV   on   a   map   plus   such   useful   information   as   the  estimated  remaining  time  and  distance  for  the  mission.  (See  Figure  4)    The  cloud  platform  to  connect  these  interfaces  consists  of  three  layers  -­‐  a  Front  End  layer,  Application   layer,   and  Adaptation   layer.  The  Front  End  contains  Application  Programming  Interfaces  (APIs)  to  build  new  services,  the  Application  layer  contains  all   the   applications   that   support   the   APIs,   and   the   Adaptation   layer   contains  adapters  and  drivers,  connecting  robots  and  abstracting  their  functionalities  to  the  applications  and  APIs.  While  ResearchGate  is  testing  this  architecture  in  a  real  smart  city   environment   using   LTE   connectivity,   other   companies   are   joining   together   to  develop  cloud-­‐based  operations  platforms  of  their  own.    Whether  drones  are  a  computing  platform  of  the  future  is  perhaps  as  sure  or  unsure  as  many  other  predictions  of   the   future.  Trends  would   suggest   that   the   answer   is  Yes.  What  seems  clear  is  that  UAV  themselves  are  becoming  more  powerful  devices  as   the   technology   and   computing   power   onboard   the   UAV   are   presently   in   a  forward-­‐moving   process.   Just   as   compelling   are   the   emerging   applications   for  drones  in  which  moving  computational  functions  to  the  cloud  that  connects  them  is  greatly   advantageous.   Whether   drones   become   the   leading   computing   platform  depends  on  a  number  of   factors,  many  of  which  depend  on  other   factors.   It  would  depend  significantly  on  how  much  the  popularity  of  drones  catches  on.  Could  drones  trump  cellular  phones  as  the  “fad”  of  the  next  generation?  It  would  seem  that  firstly  drones   would   be   used   as   complimentary   platforms,   many   applications   of   drones  

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involving   some   interface  with   cellphones.  The  answers   to  questions   such  as   these  could   indeed   depend   on   whether   perceived   future   applications   mesh   well   with  current   popular   culture.   It   would   not   be   shocking   to   soon   see   the   capability   for  people   to   upload   photos   to   Facebook   directly   from   their   drone.   Such   capability  being   included   on   a   drone   is   definitely  within   the   realm   of   feasibility.  Maybe   the  opportunity   to   produce   “the   next   Facebook”   is   in   this   very   direction,   if   one   could  produce  the  first  social  media  application  designed  specifically  for  this  technology,  and  one  that  would  catch  on  with  today’s  popular  interests,  it  could  draw  very  wide  interest.  Even  short  of  becoming  the  next  overwhelmingly  popular  trend  of  an  entire  generation,   opportunities   exist   in   the   drone   space,   and   the   time   to   close   in   upon  them  is  here.                                                                      

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References    n.p.  “History  of  U.S.  drones.”  Photograph.  Webshots.  Understanding  Empire.  Web.  26  April  2016.    n.p.  “THE  DRONES  REPORT:  Market  forecasts,  regulatory  barriers,  top  vendors,  and  the  leading  commercial  applications.”  Business  Insider.  27  May  2015.  Web.  10  April  2016.    Toscano,  Michael.  “THE  DRONES  REPORT:  Market  forecasts,  regulatory  barriers,  top  vendors,  and  the  leading  commercial  applications.”  Photograph.  Webshots.  Business  Insider.  27  May  2015.  Web.  10  April  2016.    n.p.  “DRONE  CONTROL:  Flying  the  Crowded  Skies.”  NASA  Tech  Briefs.  Feb  2016.  Web.  12  April  2016.    Dave,  Paresh.  “10  drone  and  robot  start-­‐ups  move  onto  Qualcomm  campus  for  the  summer.”  LA  Times.  28  May  2015.  Web.  12  April  2016.    Fried,  Ina.  “Qualcomm  Looks  to  Enter  Drone  Market  Before  it  Takes  Off.”  Recode.  20  Aug  2015.  Web.  12  April  2016.    Popper,  Ben.  “Intel  acquires  German  drone  company  as  it  pursues  aerial  computing  market.”  The  Verge.  4  Jan  2016.  Web.  12  April  2016.    n.p.  “Intel  Acquires  Ascending  Technologies!”  Ascending  Technologies.  4  Jan  2016.  Web.  12  April  2016.    Tilley,  Aaron.  “Intel  Acquires  Drone  Company  Ascending  Technologies.”  Forbes.  4  Jan  2016.  Web.  12  April  2016.    Trefis  Team.  “Why  Is  Qualcomm  Banking  On  Drones  And  Automotive  Communications?”  Forbes.  14  Jan  2016.  Web.  12  April  2016.    Kennedy,  John.  “Intel  recognizes  drones  as  a  computing  platform  of  the  future.”  Silicon  Republic.  5  Jan  2016.  Web.  12  April  2016.    Reuters.  “Beijing  still  struggling  to  deal  with  traffic  congestion.”  Photograph.  Webshots.  South  China  Morning  Post.  22  Aug  2013.  Web.  26  Apr  2016.    Chiaberge,  Marcello.  Ermacora,  Gabriele.  Bona,  Basilio.  Silvagni,  Mario.  “A  Cloud  Based  Service  for  Management  and  Planning  of  Autonomous  UAV  Missions  in  Smart  City  Scenarios.”  Springer  Link.  Sep  2014.  Web.  12  April  2016.