Drones have been widely used by public authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic for pandemic-related problems. As an innovative tool with a wide range of potentialities, they have been deemed suitable for an exceptional situation marked by the persistence of social distance. Yet, the turn to new technology to solve complex problems is a political decision that has broad societal implications, especially in the context of declared states of emergency. In the article we argue that the extensive use of drones by national authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic has generated a new socio-technical assemblage of actors, technologies and practices. Building on the three main uses of drones as responses to specific pandemic-related challenges (disinfection, delivery, and surveillance), we analyse the actors and the practices involved in this new socio-technical assemblage. From the empirical material, we explore potential effects of drone uses on key issues such as the technology regulatory processes, public acceptance, and security and safety concerns.

中文翻译：

---

无人机用于解决 COVID-19 相关问题：技术解决方案及其社会影响

在 COVID-19 大流行期间，公共当局广泛使用无人机来解决与大流行相关的问题。作为具有广泛潜力的创新工具，它们被认为适用于以社会距离持续存在为标志的特殊情况。然而，转向新技术来解决复杂问题是一项具有广泛社会影响的政治决定，尤其是在宣布紧急状态的情况下。在文章中，我们认为国家当局在 COVID-19 大流行期间广泛使用无人机，产生了一种新的社会技术组合，包括参与者、技术和实践。基于无人机的三个主要用途，以应对与大流行相关的特定挑战（消毒、交付和监视），我们分析了这个新的社会技术组合中涉及的参与者和实践。从经验材料中，我们探讨了无人机使用对关键问题的潜在影响，例如技术监管流程、公众接受度以及安保和安全问题。