I hate to drone on about them, but…
Drones are an area I like to keep abreast of, which is why I was struck, when I wrote about them the other day, to find so many uses associated with them: far beyond the toys that have replaced model airplanes or those used in logistics for shipping small loads of up to a few kilograms, the reality is that they are now being used in a huge range of areas, from the military, to monitoring the interior of buildings, and even transporting passengers or cargo.
They also have huge potential in medicine, particularly in the developing world. One of the most interesting theaters of operations is Africa, where we are seeing leapfrogging in areas with poor infrastructure. They are also generating highly skilled jobs for local engineers and has, in many cases, very different ways of operating to those of the drones we are used to (by launching, for example). Transporting medicines, blood bags, defibrillators or even organs for transplants offer insight into the future of healthcare logistics.
Sadly, drones now play a growing role in war. Turkey has emerged as a major player in developing drones for military uses, and are supplying Ukraine as it holds out against Russia. The Americans are also working on drones for the permanent surveillance of certain regions in the form of self-sufficient laser-powered devices that can be kept in the air at all times.
