POTENTIAL TO FLY OFF IN MANY DIRECTIONS
Once mainly employed for military purposes, the use of drones is branching out into commercial, industrial and governmental fields.
Construction, industrial inspections
With their high-resolution cameras and ability to go almost anywhere, drones are being used for inspecting everything from oil pipelines in remote areas to surveying bridges by inspecting cracks, joints and masonry, quickly scanning areas difficult for engineers to reach. They are replacing the need to rent airplanes or helicopters and crews for thousands of dollars an hour to carry out inspections on solar panel farms, cell towers or power lines.
On a more residential scale, drones are being used to check the conditions of roofs and chimneys, as well as windows, siding and gutters, particularly on multi-storey buildings.
Aerial photography
Real estate agents are hiring drone companies to capture high-resolution pictures of high-end properties or ones featuring large expanses of land, thus enhancing sales. Wedding photographers use them for unique crowd or scene shots, and sports photographers can capture unique angles and videos of everything from ski events to mountain climbing.
Agriculture
Drones can fly over 500 hectares of farmland a day, using software and sensors to scan crops for signs of disease or insect encroachment, or check soil hydration, determining which areas need more or less water. Farmers can use the information to target specific areas for pesticide use or improved irrigation, saving money, maximizing crop yields and helping the environment.
Governments and private industries can fly over forests to determine the health of trees and whether they are ready to be harvested.
They’re also good for herding sheep.
Deliveries
Google has been developing Project Wing, an autonomous delivery drone service meant to distribute goods, reduce traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Their drones are all-electric, can travel at 120 km/h, and are able to deliver food and emergency supplies quickly, particularly to remote, hard-to-reach areas. Retail giant Amazon is working on Prime Air, designed to get goods to customers within 30 minutes using drones. They made their first delivery in December 2016.
Flying taxis
Several startup companies, including Uber Elevate, are working on automated drones resembling small helicopters that will whisk well-heeled commuters up above traffic congestion and to “vertiports” in the downtown core. Traffic-clogged cities like Los Angeles or water-adjacent cities like Montreal that suffer crowded bridges are seen as prime candidates. EHang has been testing its autonomous aerial vehicle in Dubai for years. Uber’s hoping to start service in 2023. But regulatory issues surrounding air space, safety concerns for those in the air and on the ground, and the hesitancy of commuters to step into a pilotless vehicle, are all slowing progress.