“In Germany we have pushed everything military into the dirty corner”

Berlin Ms. Franke, you are a drone expert. Do you have such devices yourself?
I have! I own a smaller drone from the French manufacturer Parrot and two mini drones with cameras. But these are all older systems. I had written my doctoral thesis at Oxford University on military drones in Germany, Great Britain and the USA. Back then, I used the Parrot to take photos of myself in my gown and holding my PhD certificate.

What interested you in drones back when you were a student?
I’ve always been interested in the role of technology in war. When I finished my Masters, the US was just starting to use drones on a large scale. There was public interest in these systems but little data and real academic research. That excited me.