Drones: your questions answered

DRONES HAVE TAKEN off in the past few years, not just as toys but also as business tools. Named after stingless male bees, they can be flown individually or in a ‘swarm’, such as during combat or in a search-andrescue mission.

The first commercial drone was used in Japan in the 1980s, to spray pesticide on a rice paddy. Today the breadth of possible applications is enormous and includes anything from delivering pizza to fertilising crops.

These remotely piloted aircraft can capture unprecedented amounts of data economically and can eliminate risks associated with carrying out certain jobs, particularly those performed at heights.