15 Drone Uses in the Future

Since the introduction of drones in both the military and the civilian world, people have found new and innovative ways of sing drones to achieve their objectives. Drones are now being used in almost all spheres of the global economy from trade to agriculture, forestry, and military and so on. This is mainly because drones are known to be time-saving and cost-effective as compared to the traditional ways of doing things. However, this may change in future as drones will find new uses as the world transforms into a technology hub.

1. Personal transport

Most drones today are used for item delivery from one place to another but none of these has been used to transport passengers. The whole point of a drone is to fly unmanned anyways. However, Ehang has already come up with a concept drone named Ehang 184 that can be used to ferry people to destinations. The drone has space for one passenger and all that needs to be done is you seat and tell it where you want to go and you will be there.

2. Delivery

Already there are concepts by companies trying to use drones for delivery purposes. One such company is Amazon. This technology has not advanced to operational level since a lot still needs to be done. However, this will soon be a reality in the near future once the regulations are in place and the technology properly advanced. The concern today is in the safety of air transport if indeed drone delivery technology is actualized.

3. Fireworks display

The traditional display of fireworks could soon be replaced by virtual fireworks using drones. Two companies including Intel and Spaxels are already in advanced stages of creating a display of fireworks using drones that are decorated with LED lights. The drones will be operated by one or two people and could be in excess of 500 drones at a time. This will change the way fireworks display works. The good thing is that it will be controlled by you so the patterns could be anything you want in a real-time environment.

4. Firefighting

We already have helicopters being used for firefighting but soon this could be replaced by drones. Drones are being developed to assist in firefighting and the good thing about it is that unlike helicopters that could be risky to the pilot, the drones will be unmanned. They will have the capability of climbing walls and locating survivors in buildings that cannot be accessed by people.

5. Search and rescue

Future drones will be designed specifically for search and rescue missions. Drones are currently being used for this purpose but specialized drones are already being developed where one would be able to access crevices that are inaccessible to people and locate victims who need help. The drones are fireproof and designed to even bounce off walls like insects.

6. Servant drones

Drones of the future will be able to work in factories to perform functions currently being performed by humans. Audi is already in its advanced stages of designing a drone that will help in its factories. From roles such as delivery of parts to the assembly point to vehicle inspection and maintenance. This technology is already being tested by the company.

7. Herding drones

Soon, drones will actively be used to herd sheep and cattle by farmers. We are aware of the many pastoralist communities that live around the world. Drones will be designed to look after these herds intelligently. They will be able to take care of the herds and even direct the herds when the time to go back home has come.

8. Paparazzi drones

Future drones will have technologies that will allow photojournalists to capture photos and images of people and celebrities all around the world. There will be no need to carry a camera and follow a celebrity or an event everywhere. These drones will be able to take cool photos and videos of people’s lives covertly without their knowledge.

9. Guide drones

Drones of the future will be used to guide people into finding their way around. Drones will be designed and developed to provide direction to new students in campus and even offer guide to blind people on the streets. A lot of this technology will depend on the then technology and laws that will be put in place to guarantee the safety of the population.

10. Farming drones

Soon, farming could become as easy as playing an online farming game. Drones are being designed to help farmers make the most out of their farmland. These intelligent drones will be able to tell the water levels in the farm and advise farmer on what to do. They will also be able to monitor crop production and annual yields.

11. Prevention of wild fires

Drones are currently being designed to monitor forest wild fires and offer remedies way before they occur. The drones will be operating in real-time where they will be able to monitor patterns and predict a wild-fire and advise authorities on what to do.

12. Wildlife Ranger drones

Drones will soon replace wildlife rangers in the conservation of wildlife. One such example is in Kenya where a $70,000 drone is being used to monitor the last four remaining white rhinos from poachers. They take care of all the activities of the rhinos and their whereabouts.

13. Tracking traffic

Tests are being conducted in Georgia where drones will be used to monitor highways. These drones will be placed strategically on highways and bridges and will give feedback on the status of the traffic including traffic jams and road conditions.

14. Archeological work

Drones of the future will be used to research on archeology through discovery of archeological artefacts. Using thermal technology, drones will be used to ‘see’ beneath the buried structures and identify fossils from the past.

15. Expanding internet access

Mark Zuckerberg purchased a solar-powered drone company named Ascenta in 2014 with the intention of using the drones as satellites to provide internet to remote locations all over the world. Drones in this company will be used as interconnected satellite networks to ensure the entire world is connected to the internet.