Diversifying Drone Stories
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Reading
Department Name: Geography and Environmental Sciences
Abstract
(1) RESEARCH CONTEXT: Following its establishment as a now-iconic warfighting tool, the drone increasingly features in domestic airspace. The domestic drone's meteoric rise is evident in the UK Government's ongoing investment. Alongside several parliamentary inquires, the Government continues to drive an increasingly buoyant drone economy (eg. Aerospace Sector Deal; Drone Pathfinder). Spurred further by regulatory changes underway, we are witnessing the drone-commercialisation of airspace. From infrastructure monitoring to goods delivery and home-security, the UK airspace regulator has granted over 6,000 permissions for commercial drone work. Further, drones are increasingly embraced in everyday policing, with 5,500 police drone deployments in the first six months of 2020 alone. Lastly, drones are readily accessible and popular consumer platforms, with an estimated 130,000 citizen flyers in the UK. While often flown for recreation, there are growing reports of accidental and deliberate drone misuse. From disrupting airports and crashing into people, to drone-capturing sensitive imagery and drone-dropping harmful materials, the Government recognises that domestic drones remain bound to both promise and risk. As drones increase in our skies, it is pressing to understand both how they are deployed in the provision of security (policing, home), and their potential to inflict harm. To this end, while repeatedly asserted that we live in a domestic drone age, there remains a lack of research into the impact of domestic drones on the UK lives increasingly subject to their gaze. This project responds with an original methodology foregrounding those who deploy, design, and live under drones, enabling unique insights about lived experience and expertise in the age of the domestic drone.
(2) RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of Diversifying Drone Stories is to critically examine the domestic drone's growing mobilisation in, and securitisation of, day-to-day life in the UK. The objectives are to: (1) advance interdisciplinary drone scholarship through an engagement with the field of feminist geopolitics; (2) foster knowledge exchange and debate in/across drone stakeholder communities; (3) to connect social science researchers and policy-makers with the goal of influencing policy; (4) to enable career development.
(3) POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF THE RESEARCH:
ACADEMICS: The project pursues four-fold contribution to the academic community: (1) it contributes a new conceptual interfacing of interdisciplinary drone scholarship with the field of feminist geopolitics, enabling greater attention to the diversity of drone users, expertise and experiences; (2) it forges a novel methodology enabling a uniquely-sited and empirically-driven investigation of domestic drones in the UK; (3) it develops a distinct and accessible Mass Observation Archive directive examining drone stories, namely UK publics' understandings and experiences of drones; (4) it fosters new routes for social scientists to engage policy-makers and influence policy. It features the authoring of research articles, delivery of presentations to academic audiences, and the development of a book proposal based on grant research.
PROJECT PARTNERS, PARTICIPANTS AND DRONE COMMUNITIES: The project engages and collaborates with a range of drone and aerospace communities. Through Knowledge Exchange focus groups, designed in collaboration with drone community partners, it fosters stakeholder dialogue and networking. The project will co-produce digital briefings and reports with partners, to be circulated through partner channels, enabling the fostering of wider debate.
GENERAL PUBLICS: The project seeks to raise public awareness and understanding around drones, airspace security, and airborne harm. The public will have access to a distinct Mass Observation Archive 'drone stories' directive for future record/use; and an active project website, blogs, and Twitter account.
(2) RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of Diversifying Drone Stories is to critically examine the domestic drone's growing mobilisation in, and securitisation of, day-to-day life in the UK. The objectives are to: (1) advance interdisciplinary drone scholarship through an engagement with the field of feminist geopolitics; (2) foster knowledge exchange and debate in/across drone stakeholder communities; (3) to connect social science researchers and policy-makers with the goal of influencing policy; (4) to enable career development.
(3) POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF THE RESEARCH:
ACADEMICS: The project pursues four-fold contribution to the academic community: (1) it contributes a new conceptual interfacing of interdisciplinary drone scholarship with the field of feminist geopolitics, enabling greater attention to the diversity of drone users, expertise and experiences; (2) it forges a novel methodology enabling a uniquely-sited and empirically-driven investigation of domestic drones in the UK; (3) it develops a distinct and accessible Mass Observation Archive directive examining drone stories, namely UK publics' understandings and experiences of drones; (4) it fosters new routes for social scientists to engage policy-makers and influence policy. It features the authoring of research articles, delivery of presentations to academic audiences, and the development of a book proposal based on grant research.
PROJECT PARTNERS, PARTICIPANTS AND DRONE COMMUNITIES: The project engages and collaborates with a range of drone and aerospace communities. Through Knowledge Exchange focus groups, designed in collaboration with drone community partners, it fosters stakeholder dialogue and networking. The project will co-produce digital briefings and reports with partners, to be circulated through partner channels, enabling the fostering of wider debate.
GENERAL PUBLICS: The project seeks to raise public awareness and understanding around drones, airspace security, and airborne harm. The public will have access to a distinct Mass Observation Archive 'drone stories' directive for future record/use; and an active project website, blogs, and Twitter account.
People |
ORCID iD |
Anna Jackman (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Jackman A
(2023)
'Manning' the 'unmanned': Reapproaching the military drone through learning the/to drone
in Political Geography
Jackman A
(2022)
Domestic drone futures
in Political Geography
Jackman A
(2023)
Drone sensing volumes
in The Geographical Journal
Jackman A
(2023)
Protecting people and wildlife from the potential harms of drone use in biodiversity conservation: interdisciplinary dialogues
in Global Social Challenges Journal
Jackman A
(2023)
Swirling, splashing, slowing: Towards gentle volumes
in Political Geography
Jackman A
The De Gruyter Handbook on Drone Warfare
Jackman A
Vision & Verticality
Jackman, A
Where Are the Pandemic Drones? On the 'Failure' Of Automated Aerial Solutionism
in New Media and Society
Description | Contribution to Institute of Acoustics written evidence response to the Department for Transport's Future of Transport regulatory review: Future of flight |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
URL | https://www.ioa.org.uk/sites/default/files/ioa_uk_response_futureofflight_nov21.pdf |
Description | Interviewed by the Borders Vulnerabilities and Futures and Foresight teams at the Home Office |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | Human Geography Research Cluster funding; and Global Development Research Division funding |
Amount | £3,370 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Reading |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 12/2021 |
End | 07/2023 |
Description | Rapid Response Policy Engagement fund |
Amount | £11,099 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Reading |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 07/2023 |
Description | Partnership with Barrister Louise Hooper |
Organisation | Garden Court Chambers |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | The project partnered with Barrister Louise Hooper (Garden Court Chambers) to run a series of focus groups bringing together lawyers from diverse specialisms to explore drone misuse and the potential harms accompanying this. The researcher (Dr Anna Jackman) offered drone specific expertise, and collaboratively designed and hosted the focus groups. The researcher is co-authoring (with the partner) a report on drone misuse and harms (in progress). |
Collaborator Contribution | The project partnered with Barrister Louise Hooper (Garden Court Chambers) to run a series of focus groups bringing together lawyers from diverse specialisms to explore drone misuse and the potential harms accompanying this. From harassing ex-partners, transporting contraband into prisons, protesting the climate crisis at airports, to flying over and capturing footage of critical infrastructure, accessible off-the-shelf drones have been both recklessly and maliciously misused. This misuse raises interesting legal questions. Louise supported the research through the provision of expert legal advice, the collaborative design and hosting of focus groups, and collaboration on a co-authored report (in progress). |
Impact | Outputs in process |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Royal Geographical Society |
Organisation | Royal Geographical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | The project partnered with the Royal Geographical Society, the UK's learned society and professional body for geography. The partnership includes the researcher collaboratively designing and delivering focus groups bringing together: academics and policy-makers to discuss different issues accompanying the integration of drones in UK skies, and opportunities and barriers around academic-policy dialogue in this area; and multiple stakeholders (including regulators, local authorities, industry, academics) to discuss community issues and public perception, with the partner. The researcher will also work with the RGS to develop a range of online project resources. |
Collaborator Contribution | The project partnered with the Royal Geographical Society, the UK's learned society and professional body for geography. The partnership includes the partner collaboratively designing and delivering focus groups bringing together: academics and policy-makers to discuss different issues accompanying the integration of drones in UK skies, and opportunities and barriers around academic-policy dialogue in this area; and multiple stakeholders (including regulators, local authorities, industry, academics) to discuss community issues and public perception. The partner will also work with the researcher to develop a range of online project resources. |
Impact | In progress. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Emergency drone responder magazine (accepted and forthcoming, March 2023) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Researcher wrote a short article (Research explores opportunities, barriers and potential futures of drones in UK emergency response), accepted for publication in Emergency Drone Responder magazine (forthcoming, March 2023 issue) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://emergencydroneresponder.com/ |
Description | Presentation at Charted Institute of Environmental Health Noise Management conference (Sept 2022) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation at Charted Institute of Environmental Health Noise Management conference (Sept 2022). The event, delivered online across two half days, provided Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) (UK local authorities) with the latest insight and guidance around a wide range of pertinent topics. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.cieh.org/news/press-releases/2022/cieh-to-deliver-noise-management-guidance-at-2022-conf... |
Description | Presentation at European Governance of Emerging Technologies: Concepts (Institut de Recherche Stratégique de l'Ecole militaire) (Paris, June 2022) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | The Institut de Recherche Stratégique de l'Ecole militaire (IRSEM) organized, with the Centre for security and crisis governance (CRITIC) in partnership with the EU Cyber Direct - EU Cyber Diplomacy Initiative and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), the symposium "European Governance of Emerging Technologies: Concepts, Challenges and Practices" to explore emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), drones, Big Data and 5G, and opportunities, challenges, and potential threats that surround this. The researcher presented to aviation regulators, industry, policy-makers, military, and academics. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.irsem.fr/en/agenda-enhancer/agenda/symposium-european-governance-of-emerging-technologie... |
Description | Presentation at Institute of Acoustics Environmental Sound Group Committee meeting (June 2022) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation at Institute of Acoustics Environmental Sound Group at a specialist group Committee meeting (June 2022). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Presentation at NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme 'Foresight Scanning 2035: What's Next for the Drone Age?' workshop (Dec 2021) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Invited lightning keynote presentation at NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme 'Foresight Scanning 2035: What's Next for the Drone Age?' workshop. Delivered presentation to closed meeting of military practitioners, policy makers, and academics from NATO and NATO partner nations. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Project research website |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The project's research website can be found at: https://research.reading.ac.uk/drone-geographies/, where regular project updates are shared. The researcher regularly posts relevant project material on Twitter @ahjackman. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
URL | https://research.reading.ac.uk/drone-geographies/ |