Despite the unfortunate negative press that sometimes surrounds drones, there are a number of incredible ways people around the world are harnessing their power for good.
It seems as though everyday a new way of implementing drones into our society pops up, some ideas are brilliant, whilst others are destined to fail. We’re going to be taking a look at some of the better ways drones are currently being implemented across the globe.
1. Light Shows
It would seem that fireworks are soon becoming a thing of the past. A number of different companies in the US have implemented ‘swarm’ technology into a horde of drones to create stunning and beautiful aerial light shows.
Each individual drone is fitted with LED lights that change colour in a pre-determined pattern.
Although we’ve all come to love the spectacle of fireworks, there are some pretty big downsides. They’re loud, costly, can only be used once and emit toxic fumes.
As drone technology continues to develop, we’re going to see bigger & better fleets of drones lighting up the skies.
You can check out this incredible video of Intel’s lightshow at CES 2018.
2. De-icing Wind Turbines
This is a fairly new use of drones that has popped up in the news recently.
A Latvian company named Aerones has developed a 36-propeller drone specifically designed for de-icing wind turbines.
Despite being in its early stages, Aerones has stated that demand is ever increasing and that the industry is quickly taking to this new method of de-icing wind turbines.
The drone is attached to the ground via a tether that’s used to connect a water supply to the remote control hose located at the front of the drone.
Also attached via a tether is a power chord that allows the drone to stay airborne indefinitely, or at least until the task at hand is completed.
Aerones have stated that the applications for their drone go far beyond that of de-icing wind turbines. They plan to introduce the UAV into new industries including agriculture, surveying, inspections and much more.
3. Helping Put Out Fires
If you’ve ever watched a fire fighting documentary, you may know that smouldering logs and other debris can cause ‘hot spots’ that need to be extinguished by firefighters.
Unfortunately, these aren’t always easy to see.
However, drones are now being equipped with thermal cameras that are able to pick up the heat signal of these hot spots. This allows fire fighters to easily locate and extinguish each one.
Drone Pilots from Go Unmanned tried this out first hand with fantastic success. Hooking up a DJI Matrice 600 with a Flir XT thermal camera.
Drones could well change the firefighting as we know it.
4. Search & Rescue
Unsurprisingly, drones are now being incorporated into emergency response efforts.
The Coast Guard in Norfolk, England are one of the first in the world to welcome drones into their work.
“Normally you’re at sea level trying to look out from the lifeboat,” Peter King, a drone expert told the BBC. “The swell is above the boat so you have to wait until you’re on the crest of a wave, and they might be in a trough. They might be 20 meters away and you still can’t find them.”
Having a birds eye perspective is a game changer for search and rescue missions as it gives the Coast Guard a far wider view of the area.
It also allows them to cover more distance extremely quickly. Some drones now such as Swell Pro’s Splash Drone 3 Auto are fully waterproof and feature a payload release mechanism.
This can be used to fly out floatation devices to those in need, whilst a manned rescue mission is under way,
5. Surveying Dangerous Locations
You probably remember the disastrous Hurricane Harvey that devastated Houston back in September 2017.
What you may not of heard is how the FAA allowed for 43 drone pilots to fly their drones over the effected area. The aim was to spot any areas that were still too dangerous to enter and map out which locations would be best to visit.
The fleet of drones consisted of DJI Mavic Pro’s, Inspire 2’s and some DJI Phantom 4’s.
6. Monitoring Wildlife
The world is a pretty big and vast place, and being able to locate certain wildlife whilst on foot can prove to be a tricky task.
Fortunately, drones are being implemented to acquire data surrounding wildlife, whether it be spotting an orangutan nest from above, or to count the number of species dwelling in a certain area.
The rules and regulations of wildlife monitoring with drones is still being developed. This is because we’re still yet unsure of how animals are going to react to the presence of an unmanned aerial vehicle.
As well as this, each species may differ in response to spotting a drone, and whilst acquiring the data is important, not disturbing the animals is a top priority.
7. Taking Amateur Filmmaking To The Next Level
Not too long ago, it would have cost a small fortune to shoot high quality aerial footage. A whole team of people would have been required, as well as either a plane or helicopter to fly over the desired location.
Now, thanks to the commercialization of drones, anyone who’s willing to shell out a few hundred bucks is able to capture some pretty amazing footage.
Some of the best drones cost less than $1000, for example the DJI Mavic Pro. Whilst this may seem like a lot, it really isn’t when you look back to just a few years ago.
With companies such as DJI and Yuneec continuing to release more innovative and user friendly drones, we can expect to see more and more amateur filmmakers taking to the skies.
I’m sure as time passes we’ll continue to see drones being implemented into our lives. With Amazon working on drone deliveries, and Uber developing drone taxi’s, we’ve only just scratched the surface of what’s possible with drone technology.
Guest article written by: James is a passionate drone enthusiast, whose love for drones caused him to create DroneRiot.com. It is his aim to make it to the go to place for all things drone related. As well as this, he has worked as a freelance filmmaker and was jury member of the Drone Film Festival Australia & New Zealand.