DRONE- a fantasy today but a necessity tomorrow

Have you ever had a passionate desire to learn something but never delved deep into the subject? What do you think stopped you? The fear of its complex technicality? The “high-end” notions built around it? Or maybe you just brushed it aside as a recreational hope having not much practical use? I’m sure we all have such examples and excuses. And the recent member going rounds as one of those fantasies is Drone. Just the basic existence of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can make an average individual go awestruck. But an extra effort to know more is usually not taken due to above mentioned reasons. Well, the knowledge of drones is far more necessary than one may realize. Certainly because it has begun to make its footprint in every realm possible. The following are a few examples helping you get the larger picture of a drone’s actual capability.

3D Modeling

A detailed study of large stretches of landscapes is required for a variety of purposes like learning its geography, construction possibilities, agricultural possibilities, climate and habitational impacts, etc. Not just landmasses but also ongoing and built properties need similar analysis. All such observations largely demand aerial shots and a 3D replica of the data collected. Drones fit perfectly into that role. They scan the target, capture images, process them and produce a 3D model through aerial photogrammetry. Drones with LiDAR sensors are best suited for this job.

Armed forces

This is probably the most widely known application, especially because it has been one of the earliest areas for drone implementation. The longest range drones known as ‘Endurance drones’ are the common types used for military purposes. They are equipped well enough to fly upto 3000 feet, carry hundreds of pounds of payload like missiles, gather intelligence, etc. Short range drones are also useful for many espionage activities. At present, MQ-9B is the most popular combat drone with a giant length of over 37 ft and a maximum flying speed of 242 mph.

Delivery

Rural areas do not always have easy access to healthcare through traditional ways of medicinal supply. Hence, they have benefited the most because of drones. UAVs successfully delivered diagnostic kits, medication, vaccines, blood and even transplant organs to areas that were devoid of basic health services.

Advancing the door delivery feature, commercial industries have also begun to utilize drones be it for delivery of food packages or other goods. Amazon, Domino’s, FedEx, Google and many other industrial tycoons are looking into feasible applications of drones as they tend to save enormous physical labor and time. All types of drones- single, multi rotor and fixed wing, are used for this purpose.

Agriculture

Providing livelihood to almost 60% of the Indian population, the agricultural industry is a gigantic contributor to the nation’s growth. Drone usage is a sign of technological progress in such a pivotal sector. They help farmers in seedling, pesticide application, mapping water spread areas, identifying any infestations, tracking livestock, aquaculture management, etc thereby increasing productivity. Usually fixed-wing and multicopter drones are used in this arena.

Emergency Missions

Any search and rescue mission is fairly risky. As many of us know, it involves endangering a human life in order to save another. Now, drones to the rescue. Natural calamities like landslides or avalanches are first analyzed by deploying drones to measure the severity of the disaster. In case of accidents in deep water, autonomous UAVs are brought to look for and rescue any survivors. DJI Inspire series with XT2 are popularly used in such emergency circumstances.

Photography

Drone is a potential enhancement to aerial photography which is a delight to all the professionals as well as hobbyists out there. A capture made by literally having an eye in the sky produces magnificent snaps. The possibility of aerial imagery existed even before but it has become affordable and consumer friendly only upon the emergence of drones. Passionists have also started providing workshops, internships and courses to teach the craft of drone photography. DJI Air 2S has proven to be the best for aerial shots.

Conservation

Conservation in three predominant regions- wildlife, forest and historical monuments- has speeded up by employing drone technology. Continuous tracking of fauna, especially endangered species, is not humanly possible. Drones help us to keep a note of their safety.

Apart from mapping and surveying deforestation aftermaths like erosion and global warming, drones take us a step forward in implementing our reforestation efforts. They have proven to be 9 times faster than human planting systems in covering larger areas and saving time by being air-borne.

A complex architecture is a common trait of all ancient treasures. Monitoring such complexity throughout and designing appropriate renovation measures can be tiring physically. Drones can provide a 3D model of the particular building and also use some cutting edge softwares to study any deteriorative signs over time.

Space

Saved the best for the last. Drones are slowly becoming an integral part of space missions. History has already been made as NASA flew a small helicopter drone in Mars. High-tech drones with water vapor/ gas propulsion systems are developed to mimic rocket and satellite functions. They can be beneficial by offering data pertaining to Earth and also inter-planetary explorations. They are advantageous over other approaches by being cost effective and flying to places that regular rovers cannot. X-37B UAV is believed to be Air Force’s confidential project that has been circling the globe for rendering the collection of invaluable data.

Quite obviously, drones have become a significant part of the entire spectrum of human tasks. The learning and usage of it is not optional anymore. Anvation drones is ready to drive you through this new mandate and can also aid you to put drones to good use. Drones are undoubtedly the future norm. Tomorrow will flourish with or without your existence. Trying to be a part of it would be a smart choice.