Drone Technology

Drones, which come to the aid of humanity in many areas today, first emerged in the 1960s as a result of the need for smart war devices by the government and the army. During the Vietnam War, the US Army actively used drones for surveillance. With the advances in technology, drones have been diversified to be used in many different areas.

The use of drones has become widespread in areas such as searching for people lost in natural disasters, creating 3D maps, making topographic surveys, wildlife protection, pipeline control, traffic monitoring, weather forecasting and fire fighting. So, in which areas can drones make our lives easier in the future?

 

Using Drones for Unique Video Captures

The cameras of drones, which are indispensable for the entertainment industry, are becoming more advanced day by day. Improvements in maneuverability and motion stabilization produce tremendous results in drone footage. Enthusiasts of drone racing, which are expected to become more common in the future, are also increasing. Known as the Drone Racing League (DRL), the organization has more than 10 million enthusiasts worldwide.

 

Delivery by Drone

Amazon plans to introduce drone delivery in the near future.

With the rapid rise of drone technology, tech giants like Amazon and Alphabet are working on the potential of drones to deliver packages. In 2016, the world's first drone delivery was made by Domino's Pizza in collaboration with technology company Flirtey. In the near future, Amazon aims to reduce Prime package delivery from one to two days to 30 minutes using drone technology. This will greatly reduce shipping costs for both the receiver and the sender.

 

Search and Rescue

Drones are used in fire detection and extinguishing activities.

In the coming years, it is expected to focus on the use of drones in search and rescue missions. Reaching the search and rescue area from the air provides an advantage in collecting and analyzing data. In addition, drones are more practical and cost-effective compared to vehicles such as helicopters. The drones developed by the Swedish rescue company Rega can quickly collect and analyze data thanks to a series of built-in sensors such as a thermal camera, infrared camera and phone tracking tool. Drones are also used in fire detection and extinguishing activities. The only disadvantage of using a drone in such operations is the flight time, because most drones can stay in the air for about 25 minutes.

Traveling with Drone

Uber has partnered with NASA and Slovenian Pipistrel to realize the "flying taxi" project called Uber Air. The project was designed to provide safe and efficient air transportation with unmanned aerial vehicles in crowded settlements and cities. Los Angeles and Dallas cities of the USA were selected as pilot regions for the tests of the project, which will be officially implemented in 2023. Focusing on the vertical take-off and landing principle, the drones will use electric motors to minimize air and sound pollution. The maximum range of the drones will be 100 kilometers and the speed will be between 240 and 320 kilometers.

 

Drone as a Waiter

The drone developed by Infinium Robotics will serve in restaurants. Infinium Robotics has developed a "waiter drone" that travels via infrared sensors and can carry customers' orders. These waiter drones are designed to fly in the restaurant, avoiding each other and people. The restaurant chain Timbre Group will be the first to use company-owned drones. If the waiter drones are successful, the company plans to transfer manpower to tasks that machines still can't quite perform.

 

The weather forecast

Data collection capabilities of drones are improving. Drones will play a big role in weather forecasting and information transfer. The most important indicator of this is the development of data collection capabilities. Scientists are researching with airplanes to predict the formation of storms, but drones doing the same job could be used in the future at much lower cost and without risking the lives of pilots.

NASA used a drone in 2016 to investigate Hurricane Matthew in Florida. This drone placed five sensors inside the hurricane, allowing it to monitor parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed and wind strength. While there are such successful applications, it can be said that unmanned aerial vehicles have great potential in meteorology.

 

Agricultural Activities

Agriculture and livestock activities can be monitored remotely.

The American Environmental Protection Agency today uses drone technology to manage livestock and survey crops in certain areas. In the future, most of the farmers can use drones to monitor their crops, plant and spray. Even today, the sensors of drones offer great convenience in the early diagnosis of diseases in crops, seasonal productivity and plant quality detection.