New Ways Autonomous Drones Are Saving Lives and Infrastructure
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, are changing the way we “see” the world. They’re transforming our everyday lives as much as the internet and social media have.
They’re also saving lives and infrastructure, especially when paired with cloud-based software and data processing.
For example, Clobotics’ Smart Wind solutions are making a dangerous and time-intensive task — inspecting wind turbine blades — safe and fast. We use aerial drones and AI/cloud computing software to check for blade damage. It used to require extended downtime of the turbine while crews climbed them to perform close visual inspections.
But with Clobotics’ solutions — a combination of high-resolution photography, computer vision, and cloud storage — the inspection now takes about 20 minutes. Data on the integrity of the blades is delivered to customers a short time later. And the humans stay on the ground.
Drone-based technology is also being deployed at large fires and during public health emergencies. Let’s take a closer look at how they’re saving lives and property:
Helping Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus in China
Officials in China are using drones to try to control the spread of the influenza-like illness, also named COVID-19. They’re reminding citizens to take safety precautions, inspecting medical waste disposal at hospitals, and spraying disinfectant on entire communities.
For example, authorities have been using loudspeaker-equipped drones to remind people that wearing masks and avoiding outdoor activities can help slow the spread of the virus.
Drones used for agricultural spraying are now covering entire villages and cities with disinfectant. Chinese agricultural technology company XAG can reportedly disinfect a 300,000-square-meter area in less than four hours.
Drones are also lighting up the night sky to help with the rapid construction of new hospitals. Many of the new sites lack illumination, so unmanned vehicles equipped with powerful spotlights hover about 50 meters above the ground. They’re efficient, flying for up to ten hours on a single battery charge. They move from one construction site to another quickly.
Such technology is proving useful for controlling the spread of the virus and saving lives. Lessons learned during the Coronavirus outbreak will be useful in the future.
Saving Animals, Mapping Burn Areas, and Reseeding in the Australian Bushfires
Drones are also proving useful in large fires, such as in Australia in 2019.
According to the Associated Press, about 12.3 million acres of land burned in the country during the recent bushfires. More than 30 people died and some reports say as many as a billion animals were lost.
In any fire, amateur drone operators can pose a risk, especially when they fly in the same airspace as firefighting aircraft. In some cases, the official craft is grounded because of encroachments from private drones.
But drone technology is also proving to be valuable in the bushfires — from surveying and mapping to reseeding and wildlife search and rescue.
One immediate benefit is the safety factor. Sending helicopters or fixed-wing planes up during or even after a fire is dangerous and expensive. An accident can be tragic. But the loss of one drone has less of an impact and, in most cases, doesn’t involve death or injury.
Drones have seen increasing use in Australia over the past few years, from applying pesticides and fertilizer to monitoring livestock. They also helped rescue teams find bodies after a recent volcanic eruption offshore from New Zealand.
During the recent bushfires, they were paired with surveying software to create a visual map of damage. Armed with the data, relief crews could prioritize where to deliver aid and focus reconstruction efforts. One company, Propeller Aero, even offered free aerial surveying for fire victims.
Drones are also helping wildlife search and rescue efforts. Officials in the territory of Victoria are outfitting them with infrared technology to identify the heat signatures of koalas, which have been particularly affected by the fires. The vehicles hover near the animals, taking photographs and sending them to crews who determine if they need medical attention.
Fire detection and restoration are being transformed with drones and artificial intelligence technology. Vehicles equipped with high-resolution cameras can detect and measure wildfires using AI and machine learning. Data is instantly processed and sent back to ground crews.
After the fire is extinguished, swarms of reseeding drones survey large areas. Each vehicle can carry more than 50 pounds of seed and zero in on areas where revegetation will be most effective. Previously, reforestation teams would have to cover large amounts of dangerous fire-scarred land. With drones and computer vision, the process is safer and faster.
Drones are also being used in structure fires. A French company, Shark Robotics, provided several terrestrial drones to firefighters during last year’s fire at Notre Dame.
Drones are Just Getting Started as Technology Continues to Improve
As we’ve seen, drones are transforming dangerous and time-consuming tasks, making them safer and faster. The technology continues to improve, with increased battery time and flying range. Experts predict the commercial drone market will reach $16.2 billion by 2025.
Paired with better cloud-based data processing and artificial intelligence, the sky is truly the limit.
