Even though unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) have been around for a decent amount of time, we don’t see many in the sky or many industries using them yet. This could be because of the perception that drones are expensive and only used for fun and outdoor activities. However, drones are no longer just toys.
These multifunctional vehicles are currently used in a number of sectors. With the right knowledge, some imagination, and a few lines of code, businesses can use them to create innovative new solutions.
This post explores three areas where drones are currently being used, the data they generate, and how they are being used to increase efficiency and maximise profits. Examining the different sectors that are currently using drones will hopefully provide ideas and inspiration for new inventions as the data that drones generate will be useful in a wide range of applications.
1. Auditing
PwC is experimenting with drones to audit clients in the energy sector (www.consultancy.uk, 2019). For the very first time, PwC has used a drone to undertake a stock count audit at a coal-fired power station for RWE, a German energy firm. The drone measured the volume of RWE’s coal reserves, which allowed PwC’s auditors to calculate its value. This was beneficial as coal has a material value for RWE’s business, and using a drone allowed PwC to audit the resource much more efficiently without compromising the quality of the audit. The traditional stock count method involves climbing over the coal pile and using a GPS tracking pole to measure area and elevation; this can take around 4 hours, whereas using a drone to undertake the stock count audit took only half an hour – a time saving of 85%. More importantly, PwC was able to calculate the value of the coal with 99% accuracy based on data captured by the drone.
By 2030, PwC predicts that there will be around 76,000 drones in operation in the UKincreasing the UK’s GDP by £42 billionand offering significant net cost savings to the tune of £16 billion.
2. Agriculture
Drones are a useful tool for farmers, and the agricultural drone market is expected to be worth $1 billion by 2024 (Margaritoff, 2018). For example, drones mounted with cameras can be used to collect detailed real-time information about crop quality, irrigation systems, and livestock. This data can be used by farmers not only to respond to daily emergencies but also to design better strategies to maximise land, water and fertiliser usage. Drones mounted with infrared cameras can be used to see the spectrum of light that plants absorb for photosynthesis (Margaritoff, 2018). This information can be used to determine the health of a plantation, and make modifications to increase crop yields. The drones can be used to measure soil moisture, providing farmers with insights about the effectiveness of their irrigation systems by highlighting areas that have pooling water or insufficient soil moisture (Margaritoff, 2018). The drones can also be used to monitor livestock and check if any animals are injured, missing, or giving birth.
Farmers have also started using drones to spray crops more safely, autonomously and affordably compared with traditional crop dusting. Drones will be able to apply pesticides more accurately thereby reducing pesticide use and lowering farming costs.
One South African farmer claimed that using drones reduced pesticide use by 30% (BBC, 2018). Drones will also be able to spray crops grown on uneven terrain that have previously been impossible to reach with tractors or planes, which could significantly increase crop yields.
3. Search and rescue/law enforcement
Drones have the potential to play a critical role in responding to emergencies including medical emergencies, fires, search and rescue, terrorism, and natural disasters. For example, a team of doctors based in Mississippi is working on an aerial ambulance called HiRO (which stands for Health Integrated Rescue Operations) that could get emergency care to rural areas faster (Beebe,2018). HiRO can be integrated into emergency call systems which trigger the drone to send a medical kit to help people at the scene provide basic medical care until an ambulance arrives. It also contains AR (augmented reality) goggles that allow an on-call doctor to “see what you see and help provide medical care” (Beebe,2018). HiRO could also be used during natural disasters, shootings, and search-and-rescue missions.
Drones are being used as part of search and rescue missions by police departments, lifeguards, and firefighters. In August 2017, after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, authorities used drones to assess damage and look for people trapped in their homes or vehicles (Fortune, 2017). In January 2018, lifeguards in Australia used a drone for the very first time to locate two distressed swimmers and drop a Rescue Pod into the water, allowing the swimmers to safely make it back to shore (news.com.au, 2018). Firefighters can also use drones to find survivors without risking death or injury.
Drones can also be used by police departments to map areas in order to respond to life-threatening and natural disaster situations. Orthomosaic maps (many photos constructed together in a geometrically accurate way) can be created from the data that drones collect. In the case of active shooter situations, police can use these kinds of maps to see evacuation paths as well as openings that can be used to take down the shooter without putting their lives at risk (Dukowitz, 2018).
Conclusion
Drones offer government and business a new tool that can be used in a wide range of situations to solve problems more safely, quickly, and affordably. Drones can conveniently go to places where it’s dangerous for humans, collect accurate data more quickly compared with traditional methods, and in many cases reduce the cost of doing so. They are not yet mainstream but they are in the process of being adopted. Now is the time for businesses to seek advice on how this new technology can be used to serve more customers, increase the quality of goods and services, and increase profit margins. At the same time, government should consider the potential risks posed by the technology including in the areas of privacy, public safety, and national security. Appropriate laws and regulations should be created to respond to these dangers while being careful not to kill off investment and innovation in the space.
Fariha Tasheem is currently a student at Victoria University of Wellington studying a Bachelor of Science majoring in Computer Science and Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Finance and Management. She enjoys reading, baking, coding and spending time with her family.
Image: Vogel
References
BBC (2018). The crop-spraying drones that go where tractors can’t. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45020853
Beebe, J. (2018).Drone ambulances to the rescue. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2018/10/16/drone-ambulances-to-the-rescue/#49b812355309
Dukowitz, Z. (2018).6 Ways Police Departments Use Drones in Their Work. Retrieved from https://uavcoach.com/police-drones/
Fortune (2017). We Need to Be Using Drones to Rescue Harvey Victims. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2017/09/01/drones-dji-hurricane-harvey-houston-rescue-faa/
Margaritoff, M. (2018).Drones in Agriculture: How UAVs Make Farming More Efficient. Retrieved from http://thedrive.com/tech/18456/drones-in-agriculture-how-uavs-make-farming-more-efficient
news.com.au. (2018).Drone saves lives of two teenagers off NSW north coast in ‘world first rescue’. Retrieved from https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/inventions/drones-saves-lives-of-two-teenagers-off-nsw-north-coast-in-world-first-rescue/news-story/97fccbe0b081c3c380face170d72b09c
Vogel, P. (2019). Drone rules take flight June 1. Retrieved from https://bccatholic.ca/content/drone-rules-take-flight-june-1
www.consultancy.uk. (2019). PwC uses drone to assist audit in global first. Retrieved from https://www.consultancy.uk/news/19829/pwc-uses-drone-to-assist-audit-in-global-first