Not long ago, the word drone was associated only with science fiction movies and books. At the time, it was hard to believe that drones, also known as uncrewed aerial and land vehicles, could impact many industries. Today, drones are integrated into almost every industry. They are used in numerous civilian aviation applications, including aerial surveying of crops, acrobatic aerial footage in filmmaking, search and rescue operations, inspecting power lines and pipelines, counting wildlife, and delivering medical supplies to remote or otherwise inaccessible regions. Some manufacturers have rebranded the technology as “Unmanned Aerial Systems” (UASs).

Drones for E-commerce

Drones for E-commerce deliveries are creating a new entrepreneurial business in the US and many other countries. Amazon is bringing packages to prime members within 30 minutes of order placement. Amazon already holds patents for drone delivery, including a system that will deliver packages to a person’s current location instead of a stored shipping address. Now, Walmart wants Amazon-like delivery drones. Amazon and Walmart are Joining the FAA’s Drone registry task force. Australian University textbook rental firm Zookal promises that drones will soon deliver books. This will decrease the amount of lost or damaged products during standard shipments, which costs businesses a fair deal of money and resources. There are certainly more exciting advantages to drones in delivery that could be adapted to all kinds of business.

Drones for Construction and Surveying

More than 250 companies have received FAA drone exemptions for construction and surveying. Under the FAA exemption, companies can operate drones below 500 feet if the aircraft doesn’t leave the operator’s visual line of sight. The number of exceptions granted by the FAA companies wishing to fly drones in the US has skyrocketed in the last few months.

 

 

Drones for Businesses and Industries

Drones are meant to help businesses and industries save money and time and make tasks easier. Some jobs and missions are difficult, dangerous, or almost impossible for a human to accomplish. This is where drones can step in to save the day. Anything from delivering supplies during combat without putting anyone’s life at risk to the simple task of flying over railroads and taking pictures of damaged parts of the railroad can be accomplished. Moreover, drones can shorten distances while saving time and funds for businesses.

Also, drones are programmed to do a set of straightforward tasks; however, they can be programmed for more complex tasks in the future with the development of technologies and open sources. For example, driverless cars are currently being developed, and they have many potentials to revolutionize the whole transportation industry.

 

Challenges with Drones

The biggest problem with uncrewed vehicles is that they are not advanced enough to make their own decisions. Most of them are still controlled by a professional behind the controller in some office or at sight. As a result, it creates enormous opportunities in IT and the engineering world. There is a substantial amount of room for growth when it comes to drones, and it is up to engineers and IT people worldwide to come up with new solutions to impact the world in their way.

At ATI, we are prepared for many challenges and are thrilled to contribute to the future of technology. If you have a commercial drone project in mind, contact us today and stay ahead of the technology curve. We are here to help!

 

List of References:

  1. http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/520431/driverless-cars-are-further-away-than-you-think/
  2. http://www.equipmentworld.com/how-ROB-deployed-drone-fleet
  3. http://www.equipmentworld.com/more-than-250-companies-and-counting-have-received-faa-drone-exemptions-for-construction-and-surveying
  4. http://fortune.com/2015/05/01/matternet-drone-delivery
  5. http://www.equipmentworld.com/more-than-250-companies-and-counting-have-received-faa-drone-exemptions-for-construction-and-surveying
  6. http://blogsdir.cms.rrcdn.com
  7. Tractica