Watching the drones watching me

Watching my children at the playground recently, I noticed a buzzing noise from above – someone else was watching them, too.

My previous most-irritating encounter with a drone was at a Department of Conservation campground.

That incident irked me, but the playground drone worried me. Who was filming these children and why?

Drones with cameras are popping up everywhere, and it’s only going to get worse as they become more affordable and easier to operate.

Two new drones that don’t require remotes have recently been unveiled. The Lily and Sprite can be thrown into the air and then follow you or be programmed from your phone.

The Sprite is tough, waterproof and probably idiot-proof – which means a trip to the beach, park or mountain will soon never be the same.

While some uses of drones will be annoying, others will be valuable and give many industries access to areas or information previously off limits because of the expense of hiring a helicopter.

A farmer with lost animals? Bring out the drone. Search-and-rescue teams looking for missing trampers? Start up the drone. Hungry? Call a pizza drone.

In China, schools are starting to use them to monitor students during exams. And one company has designed a drone that looks like a bat that can be used to inspect building sites.