What do I do with this drone?
November 2, 2018 12:40 PM Subscribe
This suddenly appeared in our fenced yard. I assume it flew in. Why couldn't it just fly back out? Any ideas about how to return it to its owner?
You'll need to get a proper share link for the picture from dropbox; for everyone else, it just opens the reader's dropbox.
Without having seen the drone yet, if you can pull out the storage media inside the drone, play the video to get clues as to what they were looking at and where they launched from (and who launched it-- the operator is frequently found at the start of a drone video).
Based on what you see in the video, you might return it to the operator using clues about the origin, or you might call the cops if that's warranted.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:45 PM on November 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Without having seen the drone yet, if you can pull out the storage media inside the drone, play the video to get clues as to what they were looking at and where they launched from (and who launched it-- the operator is frequently found at the start of a drone video).
Based on what you see in the video, you might return it to the operator using clues about the origin, or you might call the cops if that's warranted.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:45 PM on November 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
It most likely ran out of battery charge or out of range of the controller, but it could be any number of other malfunctions.
If it has no phone number to call then that’s on them imo, but you could post it to craigslist lost and found or a local Facebook/nextdoor group if you really want to go out of your way to help a stranger who left potentially dangerous junk on your property.
posted by SaltySalticid at 12:47 PM on November 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
If it has no phone number to call then that’s on them imo, but you could post it to craigslist lost and found or a local Facebook/nextdoor group if you really want to go out of your way to help a stranger who left potentially dangerous junk on your property.
posted by SaltySalticid at 12:47 PM on November 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: It won't fly back out if it is out of juice. It may also have flown out of range of the operator controlling it. Or both. Social media might work in finding the owner.
posted by beagle at 12:47 PM on November 2, 2018
posted by beagle at 12:47 PM on November 2, 2018
Probably the battery died, if it's a small hobbyist's toy: they really don't hold enough power for sustained flight.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:48 PM on November 2, 2018
posted by wenestvedt at 12:48 PM on November 2, 2018
Response by poster: I'm not a Dropbox expert (nor, obviously, a drone expert). See if this link works.
posted by DrGail at 12:54 PM on November 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by DrGail at 12:54 PM on November 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
It looks like it might not have a camera? If that’s true, the owner is probably nearby. They’d have had to maintain sight of it as it flew.
posted by Weeping_angel at 12:59 PM on November 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Weeping_angel at 12:59 PM on November 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Look for a thread on your local nextdoor.com
posted by jclovebrew at 1:08 PM on November 2, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by jclovebrew at 1:08 PM on November 2, 2018 [6 favorites]
Make flyers and post them on utility poles in your neighborhood. You only get so many chances in life to make a flyer for a lost-and-found drone, so have some fun with it.
posted by prize bull octorok at 1:12 PM on November 2, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by prize bull octorok at 1:12 PM on November 2, 2018 [29 favorites]
If there are any local hobby stores that sell them, you might try calling them up to see if anyone's come in asking how to find it. Craigslist might also be helpful.
posted by jquinby at 1:16 PM on November 2, 2018
posted by jquinby at 1:16 PM on November 2, 2018
You could just hang it outside the fence in an area a person going by would see it, but this
You only get so many chances in life to make a flyer for a lost-and-found drone, so have some fun with it.
is an opportunity that should not be missed.
posted by yohko at 1:17 PM on November 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
You only get so many chances in life to make a flyer for a lost-and-found drone, so have some fun with it.
is an opportunity that should not be missed.
posted by yohko at 1:17 PM on November 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
Would that be....*puts on sunglasses*...a flier flyer?
Suggested text above a picture of the device: "Yo dawg, I heard you were flyin' your flier in my airspace and it dropped out of sight. I put your flier on this flyer so you can get it back; just bring along the charger & controller to demonstrate that it's really yours."
posted by wenestvedt at 1:25 PM on November 2, 2018 [33 favorites]
Suggested text above a picture of the device: "Yo dawg, I heard you were flyin' your flier in my airspace and it dropped out of sight. I put your flier on this flyer so you can get it back; just bring along the charger & controller to demonstrate that it's really yours."
posted by wenestvedt at 1:25 PM on November 2, 2018 [33 favorites]
Drones are SUPPOSED to have FAA ID on them. which makes them easy to look up and find the owners. you may want to remind the owner of this when you find them. the fines can be quite steep.
posted by evilmonk at 1:31 PM on November 2, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by evilmonk at 1:31 PM on November 2, 2018 [9 favorites]
This looks like a Quadrone E-Merse, so it should have a camera on the underside and an SD card in it.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 2:03 PM on November 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by I claim sanctuary at 2:03 PM on November 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Fyi those drones are $39 on amazon (wanna guess whose got two thumbs and one of them under the couch? Dis guy). So effort should be roughly commensurate with value.
posted by chasles at 2:05 PM on November 2, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by chasles at 2:05 PM on November 2, 2018 [13 favorites]
Pop open the battery cover. Anyone fairly serious about the hobby will have written / taped their FAA ID and contact info, typically inside the battery compartment. For a drone of this size it's a requirement.
It's not a high end drone at all, quite the opposite. Best case, it's a budget starter drone of some kid who is taking the hobby seriously enough to have registered it and properly supplied that information, and you'll feel good about getting it back to them. It does have a camera and actually comes with FPV goggles if I've got the right model from your pic, so it might be missed a little more than otherwise.
If no ID though, you could put up fliers around the neighborhood or a local FB page if you have one, otherwise it's going to be a $130 lesson for someone to follow the rules next time.
posted by SquidLips at 2:06 PM on November 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
It's not a high end drone at all, quite the opposite. Best case, it's a budget starter drone of some kid who is taking the hobby seriously enough to have registered it and properly supplied that information, and you'll feel good about getting it back to them. It does have a camera and actually comes with FPV goggles if I've got the right model from your pic, so it might be missed a little more than otherwise.
If no ID though, you could put up fliers around the neighborhood or a local FB page if you have one, otherwise it's going to be a $130 lesson for someone to follow the rules next time.
posted by SquidLips at 2:06 PM on November 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
Drones are SUPPOSED to have FAA ID on them.
Only required for drones over a certain size, which has resulted in an explosion of sales of smaller models. If it's under 0.55 pounds (250 grams), it doesn't need to be labeled, and finding the owner may be difficult.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 2:18 PM on November 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Only required for drones over a certain size, which has resulted in an explosion of sales of smaller models. If it's under 0.55 pounds (250 grams), it doesn't need to be labeled, and finding the owner may be difficult.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 2:18 PM on November 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Depending on how big your neighborhood is, I'll bet there are only 5 or 6 candidate houses it would have come from. In my neighborhood, I'd use it as an excuse to go say "hi" to my neighbors and ask which of their kids was the bad pilot.
In fact, I'd probably keep that latter part quiet 'til I found the kid, then I'd roll my eyes at them directly.
posted by straw at 2:45 PM on November 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
In fact, I'd probably keep that latter part quiet 'til I found the kid, then I'd roll my eyes at them directly.
posted by straw at 2:45 PM on November 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
>> You only get so many chances in life to make a flyer for a lost-and-found drone
These are becoming pretty common in my area. I've seen flyers posted on telephone polls for both lost and found drones.
posted by spudsilo at 2:49 PM on November 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
These are becoming pretty common in my area. I've seen flyers posted on telephone polls for both lost and found drones.
posted by spudsilo at 2:49 PM on November 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
If it were me I'd post to Nextdoor and wait for the owner to come to me. Or just mention it to the chattiest neighbor you know and let the jungle telegraph do the work. I don't think you're morally obligated to expend more effort than that, unless there's a "Please Return Me To..." label on it.
Spending the weekend thinking it's lost might encourage them to get good at flying next time. (Or find a better place to fly it, where it'll be recoverable...)
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:00 PM on November 2, 2018
Spending the weekend thinking it's lost might encourage them to get good at flying next time. (Or find a better place to fly it, where it'll be recoverable...)
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:00 PM on November 2, 2018
[please update us if you find the owner! I, for one, am curious.]
posted by ClarissaWAM at 3:58 PM on November 3, 2018
posted by ClarissaWAM at 3:58 PM on November 3, 2018
Response by poster: A visit to my neighborhood's Facebook page turned up an appeal from a mother whose son lost a drone in the vicinity of our very tiny street. I'll know for sure when she comes by on Tuesday, but I'm pretty confident we have a match. Oh, and FWIW, there was no camera attached. I was kind of looking forward to watch the video shot by this contraption.
posted by DrGail at 5:56 PM on November 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by DrGail at 5:56 PM on November 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 12:44 PM on November 2, 2018 [4 favorites]