Robots are pretty effective and efficient workers when it comes to a highly repetitive job, and they certainly have their part to play in the mass manufacturing process. Having said that, how about when it boils down to situations that involve law enforcement – would a robot be able to be more cost effective than a human? Well, the Predator drone certainly has etched its name into folklore after being involved in several successful missions in the past, and are also useful for border control work – but one ought to wonder just how much it cost just to be involved in an arrest?
The bean counters are certainly not going to be happy to know that each arrest that happens with the assistance of the Predator drone would amount up to $28,000. Yup, you read that right – a whopping $28,000!
Predator drones were originally deployed by the Department of Homeland Security in 2005, and no doubt that there were naysayers as well as legitimate concerns on the cost and overall effectiveness of the program. It is a whole lot more affordable than having regular planes patrol the sky, but frankly, the number of people to “catch” aren’t all that high to begin with. Do you think that the DHS should continue with the use of Predator drones?