Technology today is evolving at an unprecedented pace, redefining everything we know about the market and commercial activities. Each day, technological advancement is opening new avenues for mankind to transform various aspects of traditional activities. From office businesses to industries, technology is transforming all legacy systems; paving the way for changes and a more efficient world.
Enter the game of drones.
Well, what started as a military reconnaissance tool used in WWI and WWII have today advanced significantly to transform various fields and sector. And while the drones are still largely seen as the military toys that are used by militaries around the world as a means to inflict heavy damage to enemies without putting their assets at rights, in reality, ai drones today have wide-ranging applications across all sectors from marketing to agriculture and entertainment industry.
What are drones used for today??
Today the drones are used in various roles across different sectors and industries. Perhaps, the biggest breakthrough for the drone industry was the integration of disruptive technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning with the drones. This completely transformed the capabilities of the drones making them a potent tool, which wasn’t just a military reconnaissance tool anymore, rather becomes an effective scientific, and commercial tool; ready to transform various industries.
Today, the drone industry is already valued at more than USD 10 billion and is expected to reach up to USD 52 billion in the next five years. Below are have come up with some of the top fields where drones are increasingly transforming the legacy systems, paving the way for modern and more efficient workflow processes.
1. Precision Agriculture
Agriculture is undoubtedly one industry that desperately needed the transformation to meet the increasing challenges of an ever-growing population. According to scientists, the world’s population is expected to increase by over 2 billion in the next decade, which may pose severe problems in terms of food security.
Today, scientists and businesses are collaborating to come up with efficient technologies to improve the overall efficiency and productivity of farms, and drones have taken center stage in this quest for greater agriculture yield. AI-powered drones are making it possible for farmers to better manage their farms by automating various traditional work practices; giving rise to agriculture ERP software. From farm management to crop health monitoring and from seeding to spraying pesticides and harvesting, drones are increasingly taking over the traditional work practices for efficient and more productive farming practices.
2. Search & Rescue
Search and rescue is yet another important field where drones have already make a great impact in saving precious lives. In case of any disaster (natural or manmade), most of the lives are lost due to the delays in transferring the medical aid to the victims. Today, most countries have already deployed drones fleet to the search and rescue department, in a bet to minimize the time required to send critical medical or food supplies to the victims stuck in the area of the disaster.
With the unique ability to reach disaster struck area easily, drones are increasingly acting as first medical responders for the victims, not only providing rescue workers with a detailed picture of the disaster-struck area but also taking with them critical supplies including medicines and food & water to the victims. AI-powered drones are also being used by rescue workers to geo-fence the disaster struck area for better coordination and planning of relief activities.
3. Wildlife Study & Preservation
Another field of application for drones includes wildlife studies, where these flying robots are assisting scientists in exploring the hidden nature without actually disturbing the habitat. For the past decade, wildlife scientists and researchers have increasingly depended on drones to monitor wildlife sanctuaries and track animal activities across vast areas. This is especially helpful for tracking animals and species on the verge of extinction, as drones enable scientists to help save the last few species in a bet to stop and reverse the cycle of extinction for these animals.
4. 2D & 3D Mapping
Another high-utility application of drones includes 2D and 3D mapping of terrain. Today, the integration of AI technology with drones have enabled urban planners and surveyors to effectively create 2D and 3D maps of land parcels using LIDAR sensors. Just like the application of drones in the agriculture sector, here too these flying robots have proven to be the game-changer as they significantly reduce the resources required to map large parcels of lands, making the entire process more efficient and productive.
5. Shipping & Delivery
If you aren’t already aware, Amazon has deployed its first-ever drones fleet for the fastest delivery of orders in the United States. And while this is just the beginning of what may become another game-changing application of drones, the AI-powered drones with GPS integration certainly possess much value and competency to revolutionized the shipping & delivery industry in the future.
