IMPACT ON SOCIETY THAT DRONES HAVE
Drone Technology used by defense organizations and tech-savvy consumers for quite some time. However, the benefits of this technology extends well beyond just these sectors which have a great impact on society.
Below, check out the ways companies are harnessing drone technology for commercial purposes across industries.
1. DEFENSE
While drones have been used by the military for over a decade (the Predator UAV is among the most well known), smaller, portable drones are now being used by ground forces on a regular basis.
Military spending for this technology is expected to grow as an overall percentage of large military budgets such as the United States’ $640B defense budget, offering specialized drone manufacturers and software developers a tremendous opportunity.
Many of the drones are being designed exclusively for surveillance, but others for offensive operations. Prox Dynamics, a military grade UAV manufacturer acquired by FLIR Systems in Q4’16, has become one of the many reconnaissance UAVs used by militaries around the world, including the US Marines, the British Army, the Australian Army, and Norway’s Armed Forces.
THIS WILL HAVE A GREAT IMPACT ON SOCIETY.
2. EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Innovations in camera technology have had significant impacts on the growing use of drones. UAVs outfitted with thermal imaging cameras have provided emergency response teams with an ideal solution for identifying victims who are difficult to spot with the naked eye.
In 2017, Land Rover partnered with the Austrian Red Cross to design a special operations vehicle with a roof-mounted, thermal imaging drone. The vehicle includes an integrated landing system, which allows the drone to securely land atop the vehicle while in motion. This custom Land Rover Discovery, dubbed “Project Hero,” hopes to save lives by speeding up response times.
ANOTHER GREAT IMPACT ON SOCIETY.
3. HUMANITARIAN AND DISASTER RELIEF
To help monitor and combat forest fires, surveillance drones outfitted with thermal imaging cameras deploy to detect abnormal forest temperatures. By doing so, teams are able to identify areas most prone to forest fires or identify fires just 3 minutes after they begin. While recreational drones strictly prohibited in active forest fire regions, they proved to be useful when operated by the appropriate teams.
4. HEALTHCARE
Modern medicine has had a profound impact on preventing disease, increasing life expectancy, and raising general standards of living. However, access to modern medicine has been rather difficult in many rural regions around the world. While medical supplies delivered by traditional means, certain circumstances call for quick access to drugs, blood, and medical technology — a need drones could fill.
One of the most prominent venture-backed medical delivery companies is Zipline International. Zipline has launched delivery drones in rural areas throughout Africa and continues to expand its reach. Flirtey drones have also been used to deliver medicine.
5. AGRICULTURE
Additionally, farmers strive to reduce costs and expand yields.
With the use of drones, agricultural workers are able to gather data, automate redundant processes, and generally maximize efficiency.
Raptor Maps, a leader in agricultural analytics, relies on drones to help farmers better understand their potential harvest. After cultivating healthy crops, the process of harvesting is repetitive, time-consuming, and detail oriented. To address this, equipment manufacturer Case IH has built an autonomous tractor, while Abundant Robotics is developing a solution for autonomously picking produce. Planting crops can be an equally tedious and energy-intensive process, but companies like DroneSeed are tackling this problem at 350 feet per second.
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