Unmanned aerial vehicles have gone beyond being mainstream to shaping the way we think about the future and its capabilities. From pizza delivery to waste management, industries are gearing up to do the impossible, thanks to drones and their capabilities.
The falling costs of these devices mean that some of the most harzadous and costliest missions can now be done safely, predictably, and in a cost-friendly manner.
And you can expect this trend to continue. Forecasts value the drone market at $127b as more businesses jump on the opportunities available and investment continues to grow.
Below, we explore 35 ways that drones are being used for in businesses and organizations today:
Defence
Drones already have a long history with military use, but their capabilities during military operations are expanding. Drone developers and software experts are rushing in to fill the gap created by militaries across the world in need of drones for:
- Surveillance
- Offensive operations
- Reconnaissance
- Tactics
Expect to see more uses for drones in the military space as their capabilities and software become more sophisticated.
Emergency Response
Dramatic improvements in drone cameras had greatly increased the impact of drones in emergency response operations. With aerial drones, teams can now spot individuals in need of help who may have otherwise being missed with the human eye.
Stakeholders have not missed these implications. For example, in 2017, Land Rover got together with the Austrian Red Cross to create a special vehicle that had a thermal imaging drone mounted on its roof. This special Land Rover Discovery, named “Project Hero” comes with an integrated landing protocol which enables the drone to land securely on the vehicle and could save more lives by reducing response times.
Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief
Drones are also proving useful during disaster relief post earthquakes and hurricanes. They are now being leveraged for assessing damage, seek out those who need help, and delivering aid where necessary.
Drones are also being used to track and fight forest fires. The use of surveillance drones equipped with thermal cameras are being used to identify strange temperatures in the forest, for example. This allows response teams to detect and respond to fires mere minutes after they start.
Conservation
The fight against poaching, climate change, and their effects on wildlife requires ever more innovative solutions to complex problems. Drones are increasing possibilities by allowing conservationists to track and monitor livestock using geospatial imagery. Teams are also able to tag and take tissue samples using unmanned aerial vehicles without disturbing habitats. Drones also allow conservation authorities to track and apprehend poachers more easily than before.
Disease Control
Drones enable the tracking of animal-borne diseases such as those carried by insects across land masses. For example, UAVs with thermal cameras have been employed before by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to monitor macaque migrationin the province of Palawan Philippines (A region known for its malaria threat). In this manner, drones are giving us unprecedented insight into how disease spread from animals and get into humans. Businesses like Microsoft are ramping up capabilities and using drones to gather and test insects for infectious diseases in the hopes of preventing outbreaks before they occur.
Healthcare
Many rural areas have been cut off from the wonders of modern medicine by the surrounding rough terrain. Drone technology is reducing the loss of human life by offering rapid deliveries of supplies like blood, technology, and drugs to areas that need them quickly. A promising startup, Zipline International, has already made great strides in this regard, delivering medical supplies to rural areas across Africa and beyond.
Agriculture
Drones are reducing the cost of doing agriculture in remarkable ways by enabling farmers and agriculturalists to compile data, automate processes, and maximize efficiency. This is leading to increased yields as costs go down. A particular case is that of Raptor Maps, a leader in agricultural data analysis, which uses UAVs to aid farmers get a better idea of their possible harvest. Apart from analytics, other efforts are underway for using drones and other unmanned vehicles for mundane repetitive tasks like harvesting, picking, and pollinating flowers.
Weather Forecasting
In the battle against climate change, scientists are sparing no resources in the search for answers. Today, drones are allowing scientists to bypass the stationary points ordinarily used for capturing geospatial images. And because these devices are so versatile in range and motion, they can easily follow changing movement in the weather as they progress.
Energy
We are still largely dependent on fossil fuels as an energy source, and lots of effort is being put in to ensure extraction, refinement, and transportation are done as safely as possible. With the rise of UAVs, a lot of the inspection work can be executed remotely and securely. A lot of the largest oil companies in the world are taking to the skies to inspect their offshore rigs and deposits, as well as assess their pipelines.
Mining
Mineral stockpiles and ore can be a pain to quantify, requiring heavy capital to do so. But drones are taking even this area by storm. Mining companies are tackling difficulties by attaching special cameras onto drones to capture data about volume from above. This removes the risk and costs of having human agents surveying on the ground. Many of these drones can be operated from afar even when out of sight, and are also used for security purposes.
Construction Planning
Drones are becoming increasingly popular in this construction industry, because of the ease with which they can gather relevant date. While surveying on the ground remains critical, drones can supplement that by monitoring and gauging topography throughout the project lifecycle. Some drone software companies even provide software capabilities for their hardware on a monthly subscription to fill this need.
Infrastructure Development
Drones are becoming instrumental in developing concepts that could translate into physical structures one day. For example, ETH Zurich, a Swiss university was able to partner with robotics expert Raffaello D’Andrea and the architecture company Gramazio Kohler Architects to create a building built completely by unmanned aerial vehicles. By coding the drones to raise and place polymer blocks, the partnership was able to create a solid edifice almost 10 meters in height. The finished structure serves as a prototype for a “vertical village” that will be put together with bigger drones.
Cleaning
Drones specifically made for cleaning are entering the market. These large, powerful pieces of machinery are currently being used to clean windows and wind turbines. Because they’re capable of spraying large amounts of water, these cleaning drones are also being adapted to fight fires.
Insurance
Insurance companies are taking advantage of drones high-definition cameras to avoid scaling buildings in order to carry out inspections. Dedicated drone companies now exist like Converge Industries, and Kespry, who cater solely to the insurance niche.
Real Estate
With their capacity to capture previously impossible shots in high-resolution, drones are poised to upend the real estate space too. Services now exist to offer real estate photography on demand for commercial and residential realty purposes. Even building interiors are being captured now in stunning 360-degree detail by tiny, agile drones to give potential buyers a perspective similar to a walk through.
Urban Planning
The rising urban population has put a premium on urban planning and development as cities try to better grasp population movement and flow. Fortunately, drones are taking out the guess work by supplying data-driven insights to urban planners. Consulting firms are using unmanned aerial devices to capture urban data from above to help urban planners make positive decisions.
Personal Transportation
We are yet some way from having a massive system of autonomous air taxis, but certain companies are already thinking in that direction. EHANG has designed and created an self-operating aerial taxi that operates with four propellers like a quadcopter and is capable of vertical takeoff. Even in an urban setting with lots of obstacles, EHANG’s aerial vehicle is capable of transporting passengers between destinations. Other functionalities include requiring almost no input from the passenger and incorporates fail-safe features for safe landings in cases of the engine failing or a collision occuring.
Airlines
In order to improve the stringent inspections required by the FAA’s regulatory standards, Intel joined with Airbus to execute exterior plane inspections by way of drones. The drones Intel supplied came with cameras which enabled them to gather data and images needed for creating detailed 3-D concepts of Airbus planes.
Realizing the opportunity, Airbus now runs its own UAV company called Airbus Aerial that provides inspections for a range of industries. Other services exist also, like Canard Drones, which cater to airport inspections rather than aircrafts.
Internet
With the largest tech firms vying for global dominance, efforts are turning towards providing internet access to those presently cut off from access. The most high profile example so far has been Facebook experimenting with beaming down internet connection into rural areas from a sun powered UAV called Aquila. Google also has plans to use an aerial device designed like weather balloon to beam internet access down from the sky in an effort dubbed Project Loon.
Live Entertainment
Drones have gone beyond providing photos and films to being considered tools for live entertainment themselves. Disney is one of the major players in this regard and already has a number of drone patents focused on entertainment. The entertainment company has already rolled out a number of live shows featuring floating projection screens, synchronized light shows, and drone puppeteers.
Tourism and Hospitality
The tourism and hospitality industry has also caught the imagination bug as far as drones are concerned. Apart from the fact that drones have changed the strategies that hotels and touristic attractions use to do their marketing, some design firms are mulling over the idea of UAV hotels that could go anywhere on command. Specifically, these aerial hotels could float to faraway, and normally inaccessible, locations with guests. Some hotels also plan on investing in drones which deliver items plus room service rapidly and autonomously.
Aerial Landscaping
With their abilities to cover long distances and scale great heights, drones have opened doors in the field of aerial landscaping. The company SenseFly has used drones to create a 3D rendering of the notorious Matterhorn Peak in Zermatt, Switzerland. This, normally grueling task, took just 7 hours to accomplish with drones. Models like these save lives because they are used by skiers and mountain climbers to better understand their terrain.
Sport
Drone racing…anyone? We could be on the cusp of a world where drone racing is a big sport with millions of fans around the world. Drone racing as a sport is quickly gaining steam. Players control drones, equipped with cameras while wearing head-mounted displays that show the live feed from the drones. These live feeds can be shared with millions around the world as they sport grows in popularity.
Drones are also changing the way other sports games are being broadcast around the world. The skycam, a robot overhead camera hanging from a cable driven computer controlled system, has been used for a number of years to provide a unique perspective on events in the stadium. But now events even outside the stadium are getting their share of attention with the use of drones to record live events and TV broadcasts.
Movies
The motion picture industry was among the first to realize the potential of drones to change the status quo. And this is not surprising given that difficult aerial shots traditionally have had to rely on using large helicopters for execution. The use of helicopters not only impacted the filming budget but also placed limits on the scope of cinematography.
Today, the use of drone tech by the motion picture industry has expanded. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the FAA have joined together in establishing regulatory procedures for commercial drones in the industry, and these devices have been used to capture iconic shots in films such as The Circle, Guardians of the Galaxy, La La Land, as well as many different advertisements.
Advertising
Drones have been used in creating adverts and content for projects like Apple Music. But beyond changing the way content is created, unmanned aerial vehicles have gone on to become advertising mediums themselves. For example, DroneCast has designed and developed services featuring banner advertising that float above high traffic and live events. A notable case of drone advertising like this involved knickknacks branded with the Ford logo being drone delivered to patrons at an auto-convention.
Retail
Amazon has really taken the bull by the horns in this regard. Their efforts to incorporate drones into their logistics and supply chain are often newsworthy and highly reported. Other players involved in the retail industry are designing and testing delivery solutions that combine the delivery van with drones, or involve autonomous robots programmed to deliver goods at nearby locations in less than 30 minutes.
Crowd Control
One of the best things about drones is their ability to take human actors out of positions where they may be in harm’s way. This is nowhere more true than it is with crowd control. Crowd control police can now disperse unruly crowds with the use of drones equipped with non-lethal weapons like tear gaz and sound cannons. In this manner, peace and order are maintained without risking injury or the unfortunate loss of human life.
Assembly Line Manufacturing and Inventory Management
Drones are able to fill an important role in modern manufacturing because of their ability to accomplish tasks which are too difficult for large robots, and too hazardous for humans. These tasks occur throughout the production chain from raw material discovery to assembly line inspection. Drones can also be used during inventory management in warehouses. Research coming out of MIT explains an inventory-accounting protocol that uses drones to identify and quantify inventory using a system of sensors powered by battery-free radio frequency identification technology
Fitness
Technology, like wearable tech and body scanners, has profoundly changed the way that people train, providing for a more efficient and personalized experience. Now with the rise of drones programmed to follow their owners, the way people get coached is also being changed. Drones like DJI’s Mavic Pro, Ehang’s Ghostdrone 2.0, and FlyPro’s XEagle Sport are driving change in digital coaching by providing guidance and gathering video information of user’s workouts which can later be analyzed.
Those with bad eyesight can also benefit. In 2015, computer scientists at the Nevada University’s Human Plus Lab assembled a prototype UAV that guides blind runners using sound. This drone flies about a few feet in front of the runner and can synchronize its speed to that of the runner.
Food Delivery
Some restaurants and food chains are looking into strategies to reduce delivery times, cut costs and increase profits by incorporating drones into their delivery services. Dominos partnered with the company Flirtey in 2016 to make the very first UAV pizza delivery. Likewise, HBO partnered with Fooji, a brand delivery company, and Drone Dudes, a drone company, in 2018 to deliver pizzas to the people who follow their show Silicon Valley. Drones are not driving change only in the area of pizza delivery, however. They are also being used to address the shortage of service staff in Singapore. In 2015, the company, Infinium Robotics created a UAV waiter called Infinium-Serve for this very purpose. Infinium-Serve is able to carry 4.4 pounds of drinks and food, which roughly equals two pints of regular beer, two glasses of wine, and a whole pizza.
Gaming
Drones are affecting the gaming industry in two distinct ways. Firstly, drone racing and drone combat are now a thing, sometimes involving augmented reality and huge monetary prices to be won. The company Drone n Base, for example, sells gaming packages that allow players engage in drone races and high-tech battles through augmented reality. The other way drones are affecting the gaming industry has to do with landscaping and world building. Video game production companies are leveraging drone technology to develop detailed and realistic maps for their games. Drones are offering unprecedented access to vast areas of terrain and other outdoor elements, enabling their stunning 3D recreation in game visuals.
Journalism and News Coverage
Drones are adding greater depth to news coverage with their unique points of view and ability to access difficult areas. The news giant, CNN, for example, is said to have the most advanced drone program—named CNN Air—among all US news agencies. CNN Air flies dozens of missions in over twenty countries, producing several short movies and documentaries for Time Warner and Turner.
These drones are so useful because they are allow crews to get recordings that would be otherwise impossible to get because of issues relating to safety, physical obstacles, and costs.
Security
Security firms are now using drones to offer more comprehensive surveillance packages for industrial, residential, and commercial properties. For example, Nightingale Security, a security firm, enables its clients to establish repeatable pathways that its drones can travel along daily to monitor key areas. They also launch drones with live streaming capabilities immediately in response to an alarm being triggered. Other security firms are looking into combining drones with sensors that could sense potentially suspicious activity and then trigger the drone to fly towards that direction.
Space
Drones are pushing boundaries beyond the final frontier. In May of 2018, NASA announced their intentions to use a robotic helicopter in the Mars 2020 operation meant to discover if life used to exist at any time in the past on the planet. The drone will act as a precursor for the rover, collecting info on the terrain of the planet and exploring areas inaccessible by the rover. This tiny device, if it ends up being successful, could be the first among many aerial drones being used in space surveillance.
Drones Are Here to Stay
You can remain confident to see more innovations coming in with the drone revolution as more industries realize the possibilities which these slick devices present. Maybe some day not too far off it would be difficult to imagine a time when drones were little more than a hobby for a handful of enthusiasts.