(TNS) — As the number of unmanned aircraft, or drones, in the skies has climbed over the past year, so have calls for Rhode Island to regulate the devices to protect public safety and preserve personal privacy. Drone advocates say that would be a mistake that could cripple a growing industry and put the state at an economic disadvantage. Both sides of the debate spoke out Thursday at the final hearing of a House commission studying drone policy. "I hope Rhode Island will take the chance to embrace this technology, allow it to flourish and allow high-tech jobs to flourish in the state," said Andy Trench, founder of XactSense, a Warwick company that makes drone equipment. "This will be the dawn of the commercial [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle] era. Over-regulating before knowing the full potential would be a huge mistake." On the other side, Joanne Maceroni, government affairs manager of the Narragansett Bay Commission, the quasi-state water treatment agency, urged lawmakers to prohibit drone use near any wastewater treatment facility in the state.

Drones flying over treatment plants could pose a "confidentiality" risk, Maceroni said, and allow "sabotage" through materials dropped into treatment tanks. She said the agency was also worried about drones colliding with the commission's three large wind turbines at the Field's Point plant in Providence.parrot ar drone macgyver Stephen Rosario, senior director at the American Chemistry Council, a chemical manufacturing trade group, said drones presented a "safety concern" to the industry. macdev drone dx ukHe didn't go into specifics on what language he would like in a drone bill, but said he had provided it to lawmakers.ar drone power edition reichweite Hillary Davis of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island said her organization was seeking limits on law enforcement use of drones, including an all-out ban on "weaponized drones."ar drone 2 reservedele

Given all those concerns, what might a Rhode Island drone law eventually look like? Commission chairman Stephen Ucci, D-Johnston, said he intends to file a bill later this session that would address at least four different issues: cleaning up existing state aviation regulations for unmanned aircraft, protecting personal privacy, improving drone safety and creating special penalties for malicious drone use.get bat drone dcuo The primary regulator of aviation, manned and unmanned, in the country is the Federal Aviation Administration and some drone enthusiasts have questioned whether states have the authority to limit drone use.parrot ar drone emergenza blocco Ucci said he believes Rhode Island can't prohibit flight, set altitude restrictions or create its own drone registry, but could limit certain behavior involving drones, such as trespassing, and could require users to seek permission before flying near certain places.

Rep. Raymond Gallison, D-Bristol, filed a drone regulation bill earlier this month that would, among other things, require people to register their drones with the state and prohibit drone use near any airport, military installation, government building, school, college or university. A similar bill filed last year was not passed. - A House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Gallison bill scheduled for Wednesday was postponed on Gallison's request, said Larry Berman, spokesman for Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. Meanwhile, a deadline for recreational drone users to register their devices with the FAA passed earlier this week and agency spokesman Jim Peters said 368,472 drones were registered nationwide. The FAA does not break out drone registrations by geographical area, Peters said, so it is unknown how many of those are operating in Rhode Island. ©2016 The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.The tourist who was mauled to death by a lion in South Africa has been identified as Katherine Chappell, who worked in Vancouver as a visual effects editor.

Chappell, 29, grew up in New York and moved to B.C. in 2013, reported NBC News.She worked in the Vancouver office of Oscar-nominated Scanline VFX, which produces effects for HBO's "Game of Thrones." The company also had a hand in blockbusters including "The Avengers" and "Godzilla."Chappell was part of the team that won an Emmy for an episode of "Game of Thrones" in 2014.She arrived in South Africa last week to raise money for an anti-poaching program, said US Magazine.Chappell was in a safari vehicle taking photos of a lionness through an open window when the animal attacked.Her guide, Pierre Potgieter, denied allegations he broke rules at Lion Park by driving with the windows open. A statement released to the Daily Mail Online claims Chappell opened the window "of her own accord."Potgeiter is in hospital recovering from a heart attack he said he suffered during the incident.Police are examining Chappell's camera and interviewing witnesses who were at the popular tourist attraction, outside of Johannesburg, reported The Telegraph.The lion in the attack will not be euthanized, said a park official.

A memorial for Chappell will be held in Rye, New York. Her sister, Jennifer Chappell, wrote on Facebook:"We are broken-hearted to share this news with our friends and family: Yesterday morning, while on a volunteer mission to protect wildlife in South Africa, Kate Chappell was involved in a tragic and fatal accident.Katie was a brilliant, kind, adventurous and high-spirited woman. Her energy and passion could not be contained by mere continents or oceans. She was very much loved and shared her love for life with those she met.We cannot thank everyone enough for the kind words and support. It means the world to us during this difficult time.” Like Us On Facebook Follow Us On TwitterFull text of "NEW"Home Political Science & Public Policy Science, Technology, and Society Hardcover$24.95 Trade£19.95eBook$17.95 TradeMouseover for Online Attention DataAbout MIT Press eBooks Five Minutes with the Author "[A] thoughtful examination of the dilemmas this new weapon poses."—Foreign AffairsDrones are changing the conduct of war.

Deployed at presidential discretion, they can be used in regular war zones or to kill people in such countries as Yemen and Somalia, where the United States is not officially at war. Advocates say that drones are more precise than conventional bombers, allowing warfare with minimal civilian deaths while keeping American pilots out of harm’s way. Critics say that drones are cowardly and that they often kill innocent civilians while terrorizing entire villages on the ground. In this book, Hugh Gusterson explores the significance of drone warfare from multiple perspectives, drawing on accounts by drone operators, victims of drone attacks, anti-drone activists, human rights activists, international lawyers, journalists, military thinkers, and academic experts. Gusterson examines the way drone warfare has created commuter warriors and redefined the space of the battlefield. He looks at the paradoxical mix of closeness and distance involved in remote killing: is it easier than killing someone on the physical battlefield if you have to watch onscreen?