Why Drones Are The Future

Guest post by Arthur Daniel Cohen

Technology that used to be considered nothing more than a fantasy, something that belonged in a cartoon like The Jetsons but certainly not in the “real world”, has become one of the most disruptive and important technologies of our time.

Drone technology has revolutionized our world in ways most people never could have expected or anticipated before. The military has certainly helped to pioneer drone technology (leveraging them in surveillance and combat situations), but in the private sector this technology has been pushed even further into the future and some new and innovative ways.

According to Skylogic Research, more than 2.3 million drones are going to be sold in 2020 alone – many of them by private individuals and organizations looking to take full advantage of everything these unmanned flight solutions have to offer.

Here are just some of the most exciting ways drone technology is transforming our world and will continue to do so for years and years to come.

Delivery Systems

Amazon looks to take advantage of drone technology to deliver packages within the next few years. CEO Jeff Bezos has helped lead the charge in developing new drone technology, in large part because 86% of all Amazon orders weight less than 5 pounds – lightweight enough to be delivered by drone technology that currently exists.

There are still some technical hurdles to clear right now, but it may not be all that long until we see an army of drone delivery robots dropping Amazon packages from the sky and speeding up delivery systems throughout the US and later the world.

Farming

Providing farmers with an “eye in the sky” that allows them to much more effectively monitor the health and vitality of their fields, farmers all over the United States now use drone technology – much of it that costs less than $2000 – to monitor fields that would have cost thousands and thousands of dollars each month in helicopter or airplane rides.

New drone technology is being innovated to help spray crops, to automate the harvesting system, and to more accurately estimate crop yields earlier than ever before. This is a very exciting time for everything drones have to offer the world of agriculture in the future has never been brighter.

Filmmaking and Photography

Nothing adds more cinematic impact than aerial photography, but this type of photography used to only be available to those with mountains of money that could rent helicopters or aircraft and then outfit them with high definition cameras.

Today’s drone technology makes it easy for even amateur filmmakers and photographers to get the kinds of shots never before available. Changing the way that aerial photography has been conducted for decades, drones are reshaping these arts and will continue to do so for years to come.

Healthcare & Rescue Operations

Typically, a rescue operation is a battle against time. A rescuer gets the work done quickly and efficiently. That’s where drones are very useful. Through thermal sensors, drones can spot lost individuals. They are also practical at night or even during risky terrains.

Geographic Mapping

Drones have had a significant impact in the field of 3D geographic mapping. Mapping different regions of the planet, which are easily accessible to people. That might consist of inaccessible mountaintops or risky coastlines. Drones are put up to use to examine the terrain and arrange 3D maps.

Safety

Believe it or not, cities and municipalities to do inspections that weren’t physically possible before – helping these officials find structural flaws and potential emergencies long before they become actual emergencies are using armies of drones throughout the United States.

This is changing the way that industries go about maintaining and upgrading their properties, influencing the way that cities go about overhauling their infrastructure, and will continue to improve the way that construction companies design and develop new solutions with the help of their flying robotic assistants.