Drones a Growing Tool for a Myriad of Uses

South Carolina Public Radio | By Tut Underwood

Published April 4, 2017 at 1:36 PM EDT

This drone is ready to fly. Drones have many applications ,but the law hasn't caught up with some of them yet.

Drones are becoming more and more common, with possibly a million or more sold in 2015. As recreation, they’ve been used as an extension of the traditional model airplane. Newer uses in business, government and other enterprises have seen them used for traffic monitoring, inspecting farm crops and even collecting information from whale spray. In this report, law professor Bryant Smith talks about legal concerns brought about by the use of drones, and oceanographer George Voulgaris and graduate student Doug Cahl discuss the drone’s role in various areas of research.

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Tut Underwood

Tut Underwood is producer of South Carolina Focus, a weekly news feature. A native of Alabama, Tut graduated from Auburn University with a BA in Speech Communication. He worked in radio in his hometown before moving to Columbia where he received a Master of Mass Communications degree from the University of South Carolina, and worked for local radio while pursuing his degree. He also worked in television. He was employed as a public information specialist for USC, and became Director of Public Information and Marketing for the South Carolina State Museum. His hobbies include reading, listening to music in a variety of styles and collecting movies and old time radio programs.

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