It’s been all over the news the last few weeks: a slew of drone sightings in New Jersey and elsewhere on the East Coast, starting in mid-November. Federal authorities and President Biden have said that these drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety, and that the sightings have been a mix of legal drones, airplanes, and helicopters. But questions and concerns remain, particularly among people who live in these areas. And just this week, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) banned most drones from flying over nearly two dozen New Jersey towns.
Dr. Missy Cummings, professor and director of George Mason University’s Autonomy and Robotics Center in Fairfax, Virginia, has worked on drone technology extensively over the years. She agrees with what federal authorities have said: that these drones sightings are likely legal drones and aircraft, with some prankster drone owners mixed in.
Further Reading
- Read more about how the federal government is responding to these drone sightings via AP.
- See the map that shows where drones are now banned by the FAA from flying in New Jersey via CBS News.
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Mary 'Missy' Cummings
Mary ‘Missy’ Cummings is the Director of the Humans and Automation Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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