“Drones are already capable of taking on a range of tasks, but despite their usefulness in many respects, there remains the question of how the general public might react to their increasing prevalence. Will they be seen as a welcome innovation, or viewed with immense scepticism?”
In a blog post Maria Stolz of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has announced the latest findings DLR Institute of Flight Guidance and market research institute SKOPOS on public reactions to drones in six different EU countries. “The poll forms part of the USpace4UAM project, and the results are now available. Countries surveyed include Germany, UK, Poland, Spain, Czechia and Austria, with a total of 2998 people taking part,” she writes.
“The results of the study show that across various countries, the public has a predominantly positive attitude towards drones. In particular, respondents broadly approved of public and civil applications such as disaster management and research. Attitudes were more ambivalent however when it came to private and commercial applications, such as passenger transport or drones for a hobby. And despite the generally positive views, a number of concerns were raised, with the most unease relating to possible violations of privacy along with scepticism about the safety of drone technology.
“We also examined the influence of personal characteristics and demographics on these concerns. People over the age of 40 are slightly more worried about drones than their younger counterparts, while in terms of the general attitude towards drones and their various uses, the results show that those who are more tech-savvy or have a strong general interest in modern technology tend to be more positively disposed. This technological divide underscores the need for comprehensive, transparent information when communicating new developments to the public.”
For more information
https://www.dlr.de/en/blog/archive/2024/what-do-people-think-about-drones
(Image: DLR)
