Unmanned aircraft project leads push to civilian drones - BBC News

The "Pandora's box" of unmanned aircraft in the UK has been opened, according to the Astraea consortium. Yet many technology and ethics issues surrounding civilian drones are yet to be solved, journalists at London's Science Media Centre were told. The UK-led, £62m Astraea project - which has participation of the UK Civil Aviation Authority - is attempting to tackle all facets of the idea. Later in November, they will carry out a crucial collision-avoidance test. Unmanned aircraft or UAs is something of a new name for drones, which have gained notoriety principally in the theatre of war where remotely operated aircraft are used for surveillance or air strikes.