You have probably heard about the Amazon Prime Air service, which the online retail giant is using to deliver products right with drones. The service is going through UK trials right now, and we are expecting it to become a reality within the next 12-18 months.
But Amazon isn’t the only company using drones – and retail isn’t the only industry. Many other sectors are embracing the benefits of drones, and today, we’re going to highlight some of the most prominent – and exciting – uses of this incredible new technology. Let’s take a closer look.
Delivery services
It stands to reason that transportation companies are also looking at drones – after all, they are currently delivering much of the product we buy online and will be impacted by the likes of Amazon Prime Air. The likes of UPS – and even the Royal Mail – are currently working with drone companies to come up with a solution shortly. Will it see the end of the traditional delivery van or the famous red Post Office vehicles? It’s unlikely – for a while, at least. But drones are catching on in a big way, and it will be no surprise when deliveries become almost entirely automated.
Farmers
Drones are helping farmers do all kinds of things, from spraying crops to studying land and soil quality. Experts think it’s going to save hard-up farmers a whole bunch of money, and when you consider that farmer’s profits are taking a battering right now, the introduction of drones are a welcome addition to the agricultural landscape.
Media & Film
The costs of making a movie – complete with amazing, sweeping, aerial shots – used to be incredibly prohibitive. But things are changing with the introduction of affordable drones. You don’t have to hire an expensive helicopter and crew to shoot amazing footage anymore – as long as you are on a closed set, you can use drones instead. According to reviews, the DJI Inspire 2 takes everything that was good about the Inspire 1 and improves it – including boosting the 4K video to 5.2K. That means production companies can take razor sharp shots that look incredible, for a fraction of the cost of buying a secondhand car.
The Internet
Drones are also being targeted by the likes of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, to create permanent Internet access to remote parts of the world. The Facebook supremo recently bought out a company that builds solar-powered drones, with the idea that they can be used as mobile wireless access points. Expect to see these flying around in remote areas in the future – and the Internet finally being opened up to almost everyone on the planet.
Energy companies
Finally, drones are also being used as a great way for energy companies to check the quality of infrastructure. Drones can, of course, access dangerous areas that people cannot, so pipelines and electrical wires can be monitored for thousands of miles at a time.
What is your take on the rise of drones within industry? Excited – or scared? Let us know your thoughts and join in with the conversation below.
