Here’s the thing - if we were to talk about drones just a couple of decades ago, the probability is high that people would find the topic almost like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. Nowadays, the use of drone technology has spread to the commercial sector, and drones are not only pretty affordable but also incredibly useful.
All of that being said, if you are still not convinced and maybe just aren’t sure what can a person even do with the drone in the first place - that’s where this article comes into place. Here, we are going to talk about different uses of drone technology that might just interest you.
Taking Pictures and Filmmaking
Drones truly have extended the horizons when it comes to filmmaking and cinematography because they can provide shots that just weren’t possible before. Whether we are talking about a shot breaking through the clouds and zooming in to various landscapes, or, for instance, gliding over a lake, chasing fast cars - pretty much whatever you can think of that involves aerial camera work, it can be done.
That being said, when it comes to filmmaking from the ground, unless you are really innovative, in most cases, you’ll end up shooting a scene from, well, someone’s point of view. Here’s the thing though, drones can help and erase that limit by expanding the viewer’s line of sight to the horizons that have never been shot in such a way before. All of this is exactly what drones offer to the world of filmmaking.
Remote Sensing for Various Purposes
When it comes to drones, its capabilities go far beyond just the entertainment industry. This is especially true for better, more serious combat-proven operational systems that can safely carry sensing equipment that can assist with a high number of functions. Just to name a couple, they can help with geological surveying, agriculture, archeology, and several other industries can also benefit greatly from all the different sensors that can be packed into a drone.
Use of Drones in Agriculture
Let’s explain how and what for can these sensing drone technologies be used in agriculture. Drones can use specific sensing technology to easily measure the height of crops, doing so pretty fast as well. This specific remote sensing technology can measure distance by illuminating an object with a laser and then measuring what is reflected back. You can imagine that this can be useful in plenty of other areas.
Heat Sensors
Another great usage of drone technology are heat sensors that can, when we talk about agriculture, detect the temperature of livestock, the presence of water, water temperature, and they can also be used for surveillance and emergency response purposes. This can especially come in handy if someone is injured in a remote field away from heavy equipment, or if there was an accident with livestock so that the damage control can be done as soon as possible.
Spectral Instruments
Multi-spectral instruments can easily count as many plants as necessary to find out the data regarding crop density. By using this same technology, drones can also be used to check the health of plants and even assess water quality, which is a great thing to be able to do from a distance. When it comes to visual spectrum sensors, they are the ones that make it possible to survey and map remote land from a distance.
Biological Sensors
Biological sensors are extremely useful since they can be used to take air quality readings and check for the presence of specific micro-organisms or organic compounds without the need for a field team going to sample the entire area. They are quick and efficient, and a great asset to have, not only when it comes to agriculture, but when it comes to many different fields.
Using Drones for Aerial Surveillance
Here’s the thing - when you hear surveillance, the probability is high that you will start thinking about security cameras designed to catch lawbreakers, or maybe even spying and monitoring of your personal movements and actions. The thing is, these are the rarest things for which drone technology is used for.
Fire departments can use drones to be able to track and map wildfires without risking the safety of a field team going to do that by themselves. Another great use of such technology is for different companies to monitor their infrastructure such as pipelines, buildings, and so on. They can do so as fast and efficiently as possible - it saves businesses vast amounts of money, and it also reduces liability exposure from having any employees getting harmed in any way.
In the end, we only have to wait and see how the development of drone technology is going to evolve and continue to provide extremely exciting opportunities and we surely don’t need to wait too long. But in the meantime, there is plenty of exploration to be done with current possibilities. So, be sure to do so, and enjoy!
