From last mile delivery to precision crop and agricultural monitoring, drone technology has come a long way, and the future is looking even brighter as innovation surges through artificial intelligence and automation. This article will discuss the drone technology that you must be aware of, should you be interested in a business or career future in technology.
What has started as a hobby is now fast becoming a mainstream technology that is transforming most industries. Starting with the first Parrot AR drone released in 2010, the drone market has exploded onto the technology and business scene in recent years and most, if not all, industries and businesses have found a use for this tech.
Disaster Management
Drones are able to go to places and spaces that humans can’t, whether its crawling through small spaces and through rubble or flying over a natural disaster area to take and transmit real-time recordings. The rapid deployment of emergency support and analysis of a situation in the first 60 minutes (known as the golden hour) is both necessary and essential and can be the difference between life and death after an accident or natural disaster. By using drones to immediately assess areas after natural disasters, the emergency services and resources are allocated in the most efficient and effective manner and as fast as can be achieved after the assessment.
One of the more recent examples has been the use of Unmanned automated/aerial vehicles (UAVs) to disinfect surfaces, outdoor areas, deliver test kits and to check and monitor the lock down compliance during the recent pandemic.
Drones have lowered some of the risk factors for emergency workers and no longer will human life be at risk to enter burning buildings, scour mountains for missing climbers after avalanches and so much more. It is this drone technology that has begun to change the way we are able to react to disaster.
Logistics and delivery
The logistics sector and specifically the last leg delivery process has become one of the main uses of drone technology. As ecommerce grows and customers now expect their purchases to be delivered on the same day there are not enough human drivers and couriers to fulfill all the orders, hence the move towards drone technology. As they can both be operated by a human or totally automated by a computer, the drones for delivery are expected to reduce costs, minimize accidents and speed up the delivery process.
It’s a massive initiative that has seen huge investment from the big ecommerce retailers and Nasa has noted that there would be 2.6 million drones in the US airspace on a daily basis by 2021. Most customers have also noted that they don’t necessarily mind how or who delivers their goods or parcels as long as it is done in a safe and efficient manner.
Geographic Mapping
Aerial mapping to note changes in environment and provide real time, scale modeling and mapping or all areas regardless of how inaccessible. Aerial digital topographic mapping allows the most accurate means of pinpointing a 3D coordinate or position on the ground. Urban design and route planning as well as real estate mapping all now use this technology to create the most accurate representations of the situation on the ground.
Aerial photography/video for journalism and film
It used to be that only the lower budget movie and film makers used flying drones to film and capture aerial shots and the more financially flush films would use manned aircraft or helicopters to film. It’s not new technology for Hollywood and the only change is that the aircraft are no longer manned, and the use of drones is cutting down on costs and the need for extensive Federal Aviation Administration permits and additional professionals.
Law enforcement and border control
With the illegal migration across large areas of land borders the only way to monitor and record human movement across areas is with the use of remote drones and automated vehicles. The US-Mexico border has been at the forefront of these developments and the deployment of drones with facial recognition software, license plate camera drones, and spy drones are but a few of the methods being used to track, monitor and deter illegal immigration, drug and people trafficking and create a clear understanding of where, how and when people and goods are entering the country.
Furthermore, the drone technology that is now available allows for the simple and seamless monitoring of large events, protests, sporting gatherings and more. The use of UAV’s and drones can make policing quicker and more accurate.
Agriculture
Farmers are now using drones to monitor and even control and herd animals, check moisture content in crop lands and weather conditions in soon to be planted areas. Farming has changed forever in recent times and the advent of precision agriculture even for the smallest of farms is now possible using the available technology and drones are very much a big part of this. The use of UAV’s for fine scale monitoring and mapping in fields and in large scale poly tunnels can result in more efficient production methods that are proactively sustainable.
The type of roles that are now commonplace
The sectors above all need human resources to man, control and manage these drones to achieve the best results. This entails specific jobs and career opportunities in the sector.
Drone Operator
This is one of the most common requirements in the current climate. The same skills required to have fun flying or driving a remotely controlled drone as a hobby are those that will need to be formalized to operate a drone for any of the uses as aforementioned. Being able to fly the drone as well as making the delivery, taking the photograph at the right time and dispensing the right medication to remote patients will require the piloting skills and as well as the specific technical knowhow for the drone specific task.
Each specific drone use will require an operator who understands the exact needs and rationale for the drone, and thus while flying or driving the drone is key, then being able to perform the business-related function is more critical.
Software Engineer
Designing software to be able to use existing or modified drones for more specific tasks is going to be one of the roles most in demand as more businesses look to remote piloted vehicles, aircraft and more for business solutions. The future is mathematical and with knowledge of Applied Statistics and computing, a future in drone tech and software engineering can become a sustainable career.
Data Analyst
Being able to cogently analyze the data gathered from remote vehicles and drones and then to use it for business improvement will be key to further innovation in the drone sector. The jobs or opportunities will require the ability to store data and then to use such data to identify patterns over time or use software to perform these tasks. Being able to work with the raw data in whatever state it is in and use this to explain and rationalize business decisions will be the aim.
There are, as with any new technological development a few drawbacks:
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Overcrowding and increased airspace risk
One of the most notable concerns related to the rise in drone use and the fact that the Aviation Authority has indeed tried to make their use as seamless and simple as possible, has been the over proliferation of these UAV’s in suburban areas. This causes a hazard to both the environment as well as infrastructure (such as power lines) and congesting existing airspaces.
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Theft and vandalism
The damage to drones and UAV’s has been one of the main drawbacks to their extensive use. In a delivery drone trail where only automated remotely controlled drones/vehicles were used to deliver parcels on their last leg, throughout a specific locale. The main adverse factor noted was the theft and vandalism of the vehicles themselves. The parcels were secure, and the trail concluded that it was more curiosity-based vandalism that led to people of all ages and their pets interfering with these drones on their delivery duties.
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Privacy
The use of drone technology for security and observation has led to serious concerns over privacy and the legality of various drone uses. Mapping, aerial photography and societal security surveillance are but just a few of the uses of drones that have had legal implications and are said to infringe upon our basic rights to privacy. It is a debate that must weigh up the benefits of such surveillance on the one hand against the infringement of privacy on the other.
All of these drawbacks can and must be overcome for the drone revolution to be genuine and this is only possible through the education and changes in societal mindsets.
Conclusions
Drone technology has come a long way and is now beginning to infiltrate and positively affect most sectors and industries. No longer are drones merely part of a hobby or a niche sector, but (as discussed in this article) drone technology is now a business and career option all on its own and growing exponentially. The effect and use of technology for improvement of human life and to simplify business, security and governance processes is an ongoing element of our overall human development and progression. The secret is to understand where the opportunities will be for you or your business, and then to exploit these with the knowledge that articles like this one has provided you with.
