Drones By sector

Canadian businesses and lawmakers are betting drone technology is more than just hype.

According to Transport Canada, the possibilities of the commercial drone sector are almost endless. “Behind the hype there’s a really solid business case for everything that’s going on,” Howard Loewen, MicroPilot Inc. founder and president, said in an interview. “[For] toy drones, it’s going to be like the yo-yo or the hula hoop. … Everyone thinks it’s cool and then people are going to get tired of it and move on. But they’re going to leave behind a real industry doing really useful things.”

Transport Canada has begun opening Canadian airspace to UAVs by loosening restrictions and issuing flight licences known as Special Flight Operations Certificates. Which industries are going to take advantage of the robotic revolution? Here are a few of the commercial applications for drones in Canada:

Energy

Cenovus Energy Inc. began flying a $30,000 drone last year to map its project sites, but they aren’t the only one. Other energy companies are exploring using drones to patrol pipelines, assess tailings ponds and for various land surveys.

In the U.S., drones from Ontario-based Aeryon Labs Inc. are one of a handful of FAA drone ban exemptions. The drones are used for flare stack inspections at refineries.

Environmental/ wildlife Mapping

Conducting environmental assessments in remote areas can be costly, dangerous and detrimental to wildlife.

Using its virtually silent UAV, Brican Flight Systems Inc. has photographed bowhead whales in Canada’s arctic and caribou on the tundra. The company offers an alternative to expensive manned aircraft.

Film and Photography

Drone-filmed sweeping landscapes and tight-angled canyon shots may be coming to a theatre near you. Film companies are beginning to use drones, drastically cutting costs. Some companies in on the fun: the established Kaspi Films Inc. of Oshawa, Ont., startup DreamQii Inc. of Toronto, which launches its tablet-controlled drones in June. Skymatics, a Calgary firm, and Sky Capture of Vancouver are two of the many early companies aiding construction, design and infrastructure with aerial photography of sites.

Precision Agriculture

Producing higher yields with fewer resources is becoming a reality on farms across Canada. Vancouver-based, AerialX Drone Solutions Inc. is using UAVs to monitor a multitude of crop-health statistics, including water and pesticide effectiveness. Its drones identify overwatered or diseased areas, allowing farmers to take precise action.

Heavy Cargo

Mist Mobility Integrated Systems Technology Inc. is looking to adapt its military UAV cargo technologies to civilian applications. The systems could be used in Canada’s Arctic where traditional transportation is expensive, as well as on humanitarian aid missions. MMIST operates a traditional UAV capable of transporting 250 kilograms, as well as a parachute system known as Sherpa that can accurately steer a cargo of almost 5,000 kilograms to a specific landing zone from thousands of feet up.