Even with binoculars or more expensive spotting scopes, it’s unlikely that a drone’s N-number would be readable from the ground. So a traditional license plate-like insignia doesn’t seem to meet the transparency needs of our drone-filled future. In CDT’s comments to the FAA, we plan to propose a straightforward answer to this problem: the FAA should require each civilian drone to use an on-board radio frequency transmitter to broadcast an identifier, like an aircraft tail number. This would act like a “beacon” that would communicate a drone’s unique identification number to observers on the ground.
By: Joseph Hall | March 8, 2013 | Center for Democracy & Technology
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