Scratching the surface of drone technology’s potential

They are technically called "unmanned aerial aircraft," – popularly referred to as "drones" – and their potential was on display this week when New Hampshire’s largest electrical utility hired a Pembroke company to use them to inspect power lines not far from downtown Nashua.

Many people are familiar with the hobby version of the remote-controlled devices, which typically feature four rotors and a body that can accommodate a small camera.

But the aircraft used by JBI Helicopter in Nashua on Thursday to inspect the power lines of Eversource were more sophisticated, featuring eight rotors and the ability to carry a slew of tools for capturing and recording images up-close.

Most people probably never think about the need for electric companies to maintain power lines. Until, that is, we get hit with a bad winter storm and the power goes out. But utilities have been using helicopters for years to perform inspections. Drones, however, offer the potential to provide easier, better inspections under safer conditions in places not accessible to helicopters, its operators said.

"Every day, someone’s coming up with a new application for these," said JBI’s Franz Loew. "I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface for the kinds of things we can use these UAVs for."

Scratching the subsurface of drone technology’s potential

They are technically called "unmanned aerial aircraft," – popularly referred to as "drones" – and their insidious side was on display last week in a report from the Hollis Police Department, which reported that someone was using the remote-controlled devices to peek in the windows of some town residents.

Between June 20 and July 26, police said, residents on Flint Pond and Wright roads observed a remote-controlled drone flying outside their windows. The sightings occurred in the late night and early morning hours, with individuals telling officers their belief was the device was used to watch them sleep or move throughout their residence.

If using drone technology to inspect power lines and hard-to-reach places represents the best use of the technology, using it to peep into someone’s home represents, perhaps, the worst.

Body cameras promise to protect officers and public

Boston’s largest police union has reached agreement with the city to launch a pilot program in which about 100 officers will wear body cameras on the job for six months.

Body cameras are no cure-all to the inherent tension that sometimes exists between police and civilians, but they hold out the prospect of offering protection for officers wrongly accused of misconduct. They may also provide the public with a level of law-enforcement accountability not previously seen on the streets.

Video evidence can be a powerful tool, as we saw back in May when a Massachusetts man was stuck by two police officers following a high-speed chase that ended in Nashua. Television news helicopters recorded the incident from overhead when the chase came to an end, and that video played a role in two officers being charged. It also played a role, we would guess, in the other officers on the scene being cleared of any wrongdoing.

We look forward to the day when New Hampshire establishes its own program to put body cameras on police.