The use of drones by big businesses is one of the best things to happen for home users. The demands of business are similar to the wants and needs of amateur enthusiasts. As they push for the development of drone tech, especially their range and battery life, this will help make all drones better and cheaper. Here are three huge industries that are using drone technology and what they are using them for.
Oil & Gas Industry
Surveying potential work sites, inspecting and monitoring machinery and pipework, and maintaining worker safety are just a few of the ways the oil and gas industry is using drones. The speed, maneuverability, and quality of drone imagery make them a cost-effective choice for many applications in the energy field.
Quadcopter drones have been equipped with natural gas sensors, for instance, and can quickly sweep and monitor vast areas of infrastructure safely. Shell Canada has even begun a drone pilot flight school to teach pilots to operate their various, customized drones for use across their facilities. The more drones are used in this industry, the more commercial drones will improve in range. Oil and gas firms will help to push the technology, making it more energy-efficient and able to cover larger areas.
If you think of drone delivery services, Amazon springs immediately to mind. They have been quite public about their plans to develop drone technology capable of making Amazon Prime deliveries. This has the potential to reduce delivery times to just a few hours. They are not the only company investigating drones, and specifically quadcopters, to make logistics faster and more efficient.
The flight characteristics and stability of the quadcopter design make it a great candidate for dropping off supplies at any location. They can easily drop off a parcel on the back deck of a home, for example. Weight and range are the biggest hurdles to overcome. Most corporate-developed drones are aimed at delivering lightweight and high-priority products from locally based depots. Medication is the perfect example, and important prescriptions could soon be filled online and delivered by drone from a local pharmacy.
When you think of drones as entertainment, you think of racing and drone sports. Though this has a lot of growth potential, the most significant impact drones have had in entertainment is on other sports, and how film and television are produced. Nature documentaries have been changed forever by the development of drones, especially drones equipped with incredibly high-quality cameras.
Complicated helicopter shots have been replaced with drone footage flown by professionals in a safe spot. The coverage of most major sports is now peppered with angles that a human couldn’t film. Shots that swoop above players in a huddle, or follow a ball flying across the field, are brought to viewers by drones on any given Sunday. Directors of film, television, Netflix, and all sporting events are now using drones to broadcast some incredible and dynamic shots that would not be possible with any other technology.
Practical, industrial applications for drone technology are exactly what drone users needed. This investment in the technology, and its development, will benefit everyone in the long run as drones become more energy-efficient with increased ranges, and cheaper to own.