7 non-trivial ways to use drones
Drones are helpful not only in the usual situations as to record a video of a crowd from above or to conduct some military intelligence. The more developed the market is, the more exciting ways to use drone appear on it. We decided to tell a little about the most non-trivial application of small fliers.
1. Flying pharmacy
Zipline company is already using drones to deliver drugs, vaccines and medical supplies to areas in Rwanda where there are no roads. Their unmanned piloted vehicles Zips weigh only 10 kilograms and can carry packages up to 1.5 kg, which they deliver with a parachute. Battery capacity is enough for 121-kilometer flight, which means they allow a free flight. The company will receive permits for similar trips in the United States and will be able to deliver medicines to doctors on the islands off the coast of Maryland, as well as to remote areas of Nevada.
2. Ambulance
While drugs are being delivered in Rwanda, in Sweden drones are replacing doctors. The Swedish transport agency has developed a 5.7 kg quadcopter capable of carrying an automatic external defibrillator weighing 763 grams aboard. The droning engine builds up a maximum speed of 75 km/h, and its preparation for launch takes only 3 seconds. Just compare — it takes an average of 3 minutes after the call by the time of ambulance car departure. Moreover, an unmanned vehicle arrives at destination point 16 minutes faster than the regular ambulance. For patients with heart attacks, time is crucial, and unmanned pilots can save plenty of lives. The flying defibrillator is currently located in the north of Stockholm, but there are plans to expand the program.
3. Fashion show
The top models should become aware of the new competitor to appear because drones are about to take away part of their work. So, in February 2018, the drones opened Dolce & Gabbana’s show at the Fashion Week in Milan. “Electric models” demonstrated a new collection of bags created by this fashion house. The audience greeted them with applause and photographed every demonstrator. However, for such a show, it was necessary to disable Wi-Fi, since the organizers operated the flying drones over the Wi-Fi network, so the show was delayed for 45 minutes.
4. Courier service
Tired of waiting for a courier who could not find your street? While such giants as Amazon and Ukrainian shipping companies are only testing drones as couriers, in the east companies are already using drones. In China, the local giant JD.com already delivers packages by drones. They make deliveries to villages, to which it is difficult and expensive to get on any other transport. Due to drones, Chinese villagers began to receive their orders day after day, which led to an explosive growth of Internet commerce.
5. Light show
Drones are not only functional but also beauty and entertainment. But it is not about the toy quadcopter for children’s entertainment, but about a little more. Last year, the collaboration between Disney and IBM transformed the fleet of small drones into the “Holiday Drone Show At Disney Springs” lighting show. The company has got patents for the use of drones within the show in its theme parks and even received special permission from FAA to fly over parks. This means that in future Disney plans to increase the number of parks where you can see the show with drones.
6. Observation of animals
To investigate animals in their environment, it is necessary to exclude the human factor, so as not to disturb such a delicate balance. Last year, Australian scientists investigated dugongs — marine mammals, in Shark Bay. But these animals are not so easy to observe — they keep out of the sidelines and do not let people come close. Then drones helped the scientist. Thanks to the small unmanned drone equipped with the camera, it was possible to make 627 images of dugongs, as well as whales, dolphins, and turtles. And how it works, you can see in the new BBC Earth Films movie, which you can see in a cinema. For shooting it was used more than 200 drones, in order not to scare animals.
7. Climate Police
Not only biologists but also climatologists need the help of small devices. British researcher Joseph Cook has been defining and mapping the melting glaciers in Greenland for over two years. It is clear that the scientist addressed for help from the owners of drones. Thanks to equipping drones with a specially designed camera, Cook has been able to develop the most detailed map of this melting island, which helps his colleagues to observe changes in temperature and altitude of the ocean.
And what are the non-trivial ways of using drones you know?
