Rob: Hello I'm Rob and this is 6 Minute English -
a programme that brings you an interesting topic,
authentic listening practice and some vocabulary
to help you improve your language skills.
Joining me today is Neil.
Neil: Hello. And today we're discussing those pilotless
aircraft that we seem to be hearing
and reading a lot about at the moment.
Rob: You mean drones. And yes, they are in the news
quite often for good and bad reasons.
They've been used for many things from smuggling
drugs, detecting water leaks and surveillance.
Neil: And surveillance - that means 'the act
of carefully watching someone or something' -
perhaps a criminal - but also it means spying,
maybe on me and you Rob?
So should we be welcoming
the rise of the use of drones?
Rob: Well, before our discussion about that 'takes off',
we need to set today's question for you to answer, Neil.
Neil: What are you droning on about Rob?
And by that I don't mean 'flying a drone' -
I mean 'talking too much in a very boring way'!
Rob: Thanks Neil. Now just answer this, will you?
Drones are sometimes also referred to
as UAVs. So, what does UAV stand for? Is it...
a) Unidentified aerial vehicle,
b) Unmanned aerial vehicle
or c) Unaided aircraft vehicle
Neil: Well, I'm going to go for b)
unmanned aerial vehicle.
Rob: Ok well, we'll see if you're right later on.
Now let's talk more about drones,
which, apparently, seem to be everywhere now.
Neil: But are they safe and are they necessary?
I've heard about them being a hazard to aircraft
because they've been flown close to airports.
Rob: Well, figures in 2016 showed that in the UK
there were 70 near misses involving drones.
And that's more than double the year before.
So that is a little worrying.
Neil: Yes. And there's the potential risk
of people's privacy being invaded when a drone
is flown over their property with a camera attached to it.
Rob: Ah, but those cameras are also good at capturing
some great aerial footage - that's the film
recording of the view from the above the ground.
So they're not all bad. And Dr Yoge Patel would agree.
She is CEO of Blue Bear,
which supplies unmanned planes and drones.
Here she is speaking about drones on the BBC's
Woman's Hour programme...
Dr Yoge Patel: They have the potential
to be dangerous, agreed. They also have though,
on the flip side, the ability to be a game changer
in both domestic use and in military use.
So, some of our drones are being used
for aircraft inspections. We've put our drones
into Fukishima.
Rob: So there you go Neil. There are many useful things
drones can do, and Dr Patel said
they have the ability to be a game changer.
Neil: And by that you mean 'something that
completely changes the way something is done
or thought about'.
Rob: Yes. Her company has used drones to inspect
the inside of the damaged Fukishima nuclear
power station in Japan.
And another example of drones being a game changer
is UNICEF and the Malawian government testing drones
for carrying medical supplies.
This could help save lives in remote places.
Neil: And I have read that in Australia,
lifeguards are using drones to help rescue
swimmers who get in trouble in the sea.
Rob: And have you heard about a Japanese firm
that's planning to use a drone to force employees
out of their offices by playing music at them
if they stay to work evening overtime.
Neil: I haven't, but you've convinced me -
it seems like the sky's the limit
for the uses of drones!
I mean there's no limit to what they can do.
But I am a little concerned
about how they are regulated or controlled.
Rob: Well Dr Yoge Patel says because the technology
is new, regulations - or legal controls -
are developing all the time...
Dr Yoge Patel: As technology progresses, regulation
and operational use needs to then be harmonised
with it. And we are, as a community, going through
that whole process of saying what is
proportionate and appropriate regulation
to go with different uses of drones.
Neil: So she talked about regulations being
harmonised as technology progresses.
Rob: So I think she means 'making regulations suitable
and appropriate for what the drones
are being used for'. So they need some control,
but not so they can't be useful and effective.
Neil: Like flying drones to stop you working late!
Now Rob, I'm dying to know
what the other name for a drone is.
Rob: OK, let me tell you. So earlier I asked you
what does UAV stand for? Was it...
a) Unidentified aerial vehicle
b) Unmanned aerial vehicle
or c) Unaided aircraft vehicle
Neil: And I said b) - was that correct?
Rob: Yes Neil, you know your drones - that's correct.
Well done. UAVs or drones have been around
for quite a while in different forms.
It's thought they were first used for providing
practice targets for training military personnel.
OK Neil, let's quickly go over some of the
vocabulary we have mentioned today,
starting with surveillance.
Neil: "The police kept the jewellery shop
under surveillance because they had a tip-off
about a robbery." So that means 'carefully
watching someone or something,
usually to try to stop something illegal'.
Rob: Then we mentioned aerial footage -
that's film recording made from the sky.
"The aerial footage on TV of the dolphins swimming
was spectacular."
Neil: Yes, drones have been a game changer
for wildlife programmes on TV. That means
'something that completely changes the way
something is done or thought about'.
Rob: We also mentioned the phrase 'the sky's the limit',
meaning 'there's no limit to something'.
"The sky is the limit to what professional
footballers can earn these days."
Neil: Then we discussed harmonised -
that describes two things being suitable for each other
to allow them to work properly.
"The garden has been designed to harmonise
with the natural landscape."
Rob: Very useful vocabulary, Neil.
But let's stop droning on - and that means
'talking too much in a boring way' - and remind everyone
to check out our You Tube, Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram pages - and of course, our website
at bbclearningenglish.com. See you next time.
Goodbye.
Neil: Goodbye