List of 40 Applications for Drones

1. Law Enforcement Surveillance: Drones are commonly used by the law enforcement agencies to monitor the progress of public safety. The police department, as well as the military agencies use drones to monitor any suspicious activities that could signal safety risk to the affected community. Both the military and the police department use specialized sensors such as infrared or heat sensitive cameras to track any suspicious activities within the monitored target areas.


2. Visual Arts: Multimedia professionals use drones as an important tool to capture and record aerial images from above like a bird’s eye view. Cinematographers, visual artists, and mass media camera men use drones to take aerial footage of live events that are aired through their respective mass media and online channels to update the public regarding current events. Drones highlight the essentials of visual artistry when capturing and recording images or moving images to provide a more entertaining view to the public regarding an interesting event.


3. Logistics: Companies are now redesigning drones that are now capable of carrying products in a limited weight capacity. Using drones saves more time, energy, and expense that are beneficial for the company’s business operations. Amazon started using drones to deliver products ordered by online consumers in London, which takes lesser time to prepare because drones does not need to drive through roadways to reach their destination.


4. Weather Forecasting: Meteorologists need drones to make a more accurate forecasting activity regarding the current weather systems affecting a specific area. Satellite images from manmade satellites are space drones that facilitate meteorologists to capture images from the space to provide a more detailed weather systems to a particular area of the world. These are highly sophisticated drones that are used to interact with radar mapping technology to track any changes in the weather pattern.


5. Vlogging: Video bloggers use drones to take aerial shots to places that they visit and upload the media clip to their respective social media channels. Drones are important for travel vloggers because they always aim to publish magnificent scenes and sights to a certain area that they recently visited. One major example is when they use the drone to navigate the white sand beaches and the crystal clear waters of Boracay using their drones in a broad daylight.


Drone Applications in Underwater:

6. Marine Exploration: Marine biologists are now using innovative technologies to explore the mysteries of the ocean by navigating several depths deep into the ocean. Drones provide guidance for marine scientists to further explore new creatures that are not yet discovered by the present society. Underwater drones are capable of visually exploring the oceans at least 100 meters deep or more to discover new species and new topographies.


7. Underwater Rescue: Transportation companies are involved in sea accidents caused by plane crash, ship sinking, and boat wreckage that sent passengers to drown beneath the ocean. Drones are used to conduct search and rescue operations to locate survivors or human bodies that settled at the bottom of the sea. There are several trapped passengers who were rescued by the search and rescue team to decrease the risk of casualties brought by the accident.


8. Oceanography: Marine scientists and meteorologists use drones to monitor the currents of the oceans that affect our current weather patterns. Drones can detect ocean temperatures and the measuring the current sea level of the ocean to compare if there are changes observed from the previous monitoring from the past months or years. Measurements will be documented by the marine scientists and oceanographers to further analyze ocean currents and temperatures.


9. Sea Animal Critters: Marine biologists attach small drones to sea mammals while returning them back to the ocean to continue their survival deep in the sea. Attached drones to the body of marine animals will allow scientists to study the behavior and survival methods of sea animals while living across the vastness of the ocean. The main goal is to observe the behavior of selected marine animals and their relationship with other sea creatures under the sea through a visual monitoring system.


10. Ocean Toxicity Monitoring System: Environmental scientists and chemists collaborate with marine scientists to measure the chemical components of the oceans. The application of sea drone monitoring system is to identify harmful chemicals that pose a greater risk to humans and marine animals that are caused by pollution such as plastics and radioactive particles.


Drone Used in Land:

11. Assess Land Topography: During natural calamities such as earthquakes, landslides, rising sea levels, farming, and mining significantly changes the topography and terrain of a certain land. Geologists use drones to capture the image of the targeted topography where either natural and man made calamities or activities occur. Examples are copter drones or rocket drones that are used to determine any changes to the structure of terrain after the recent tremors that changed the landscape of the affected area.


12. Aerial Search and Rescue: Law enforcement agencies in cooperation with the disaster management council launch aerial drones to conduct search and rescue operations to missing individuals in remote land areas. The application of drones aims to search for missing individuals, animals, or properties that are currently missing. The drones seek to monitor the area for movements and visualize any survivor that can be immediately rescued and will be placed into a safer area. Photos can determine the exact location of the missing person that prompts authorities to conduct rescue and rehabilitation to a nearby health care facility.


13. Generate Maps: The global maps are constantly changing due to the effects of the weather and global warming. This is the reason why scientists deploy drones to capture recent images of the world to determine any changes to the topography, especially in the coastlines as an application. The photos taken from a certain locality will then be consolidated, generating one main mapping system. Map generation is important to obtain the actual changes observed to a specific area.


Drone Applications in Military:

14. Military Espionage: Military facilities such as monitoring systems have been improving with the help of technology such as the use of drones. The application of military drones aims to monitor suspicious activities that will be used for documentation by the military officials for strengthening the evidence of an illegal activity. Innovative technologies create drones that are capable of conducting espionage to monitor the movements of the enemies through unmanned aerial operations towards an area frequented by a terrorist or militant force.


15. Unmanned Military Arsenal: During an armed conflict such as the war on terrorism in Syria, armed drones has been utilized by both the coalition forces and the members of the terrorist organizations. The application of unmanned military drones is to provide another fire power for the government armed forces who is seeking to liberate an area that has just been invaded by a terrorist group. This is simply to increase its capability to engage in an alternative military firepower that targets military bases.


16. Monitor Security Threats in Battle Zones: During a military operation, drones help navigate nearby terrains to detect any presence of security threats. The application of drones is to monitor security threats will indicate the presence of an immediate danger to the community where there are existing criminal or terrorist elements. Drones that capture any suspicious human activities such as the presence of terrorist groups approaching the naval base can prompt the military personnel to prepare for initiating defense and assault.


17. Heat Sensor Detection: Both the military and the police department use drones that are equipped with heat sensor system. The application is to use the heat sensors when locating a certain living individual or animal to immediately contain an existing threat to the society. The heat detects any signs of life within the area of military or police operations to detect any criminal or terrorist elements that are hiding within the perimeter of the search to apprehend the perpetrators.


Aerial Uses of Drone Today:

18. Measuring the Current Air Pressure: Measuring the atmospheric pressure is important to understand the components and characteristics of the atmosphere. The application is made when the drones are sent up in the atmosphere to identify and calculate the chemical components that influence the pressure of the atmosphere. This is an important routine practice by the meteorologists to improve the science and the study of atmospheric layers above the surface of the planet. This is a regular routine by both the local and international meteorology departments to provide latest updates on the weather.


19. Studying Tropical Cyclones: Meteorologists are still yet to fully understand the nature and the behavior of tropical cyclones. The application of drones on studying tropical cyclones is to measure the current atmospheric pressure after it is deployed along the eye wall of the tropical cyclone. Whenever there is a newly formed tropical disturbance, drones are sent by meteorologists to measure the wind speed, chemical particles, air pressure, and the components that are suspended along the eye wall of the weather disturbance.


20. Analyzing Tornadoes: Severe weather analysts and tornado chasers created custom-made drones that can monitor the movement of tornadoes, waterspouts, and dust devils. As an application, the drone is sent to visualize the center of the tornado, analyze the wind speed, and measuring the atmospheric pressure. Drones are usually destroyed by the tornado, but still provide vital information by detailing important meteorological information before it will be taken down by the storm.


Drone Sent to Space – Uses:

21. Improve Communication Systems: Drones are sent by space agencies around the world to improve communication networks of a certain network or international companies. As an application, the device is then suspended into the low-Earth orbit to facilitate wireless networks across a specific area of the world. It seeks to improve radar and satellite reception that provides a better way of relaying information between two or more networks.


22. Space Telescope: The NASA launched a sophisticated telescope device known as the Hubble Space telescope that was placed in a low-Earth orbit. As for the application, this is a telescopic drone that helps NASA scientists to detect new astronomic bodies and phenomenon outside the solar system. The Hubble Space Telescope was launched on the 20th of May in 1990 and is still in operation until the present day.


23. Planetary Drones: NASA and other national space agencies from around the world are sending large drones to nearby planets such as Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter. The mission of these planetary drones is to further explore the atmosphere, surface, and chemical composition of the target planets. Planetary drones stay for at least several years before returning to our planet after collecting vital information from the planet.


24. Studying Comets and Asteroids: There are multiple mysteries that are still yet to be discovered by astronauts and space scientists. On the 2nd of March in 2004, Rosetta space probe was launched by the European Space Agency. The application of the probe is to study the composition of Churymov-Gerasimenko comet. The probe reached the comet on the 6th of August, 2014, and took rock samples to understand the composition of the comet.


25. Space Exploration: NASA and other space agencies began sending space probes or astronomic drones to space. The application is to explore the vast space of our cosmos to discover cosmic phenomena in deep space such as the solar system, interstellar space, and the whole galaxy.


Drone Applications in Medical Field:

26. Ultrasonography Exploration: Drones are used by radiologists and licensed physician practitioners to visually navigate the contents of our abdomen. The application of these drones seeks to detect abnormalities that are connected to the abdominal distress experienced by the patients. Doctors are able to detect any abnormalities by visualizing the abdomen for further care and management.


27. Dislodge Clogged Arteries: During surgery, cardiologists install microdrones to penetrate the hollow lumen of the arteries. It aims to search for clogged materials that are mostly composed of fat, calcium, platelets, and bacteria that are attached to the walls of the arteries. The application is to remove the blocked artery by capturing the particle or to shred into smaller pieces to prevent complications of coronary artery diseases.


28. Endoscopy Procedures: Small drones are placed inside the stomach of patients who are suffering from an upper gastric distress. The application is to visualize the condition of the larynx, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and duodenum of the patient. This is to find out if the patient is suffering from cancer, gastritis, ulcerated stomach, and congenital anomalies.


29. Colonoscopy: Small portable drones are used by doctors during a colonoscopy procedure. The application of this drone is to visualize the lower intestines of the digestive system. The purpose is to visualize the colon to confirm or identify any possible signs of distress or diseases such as cancer or injuries in the colon.


Uses of Drone in Media:

30. Diary: Some people prefer elevating their diary into a whole new level through the use of drones: Using either a flying or a handy drone aims to make their diary interesting by expressing their thoughts about a certain object, towards a person, or about an institution. The main application is to express their views or reaction through the use of drones and save it in their personalized media file.


31. Documentary Journalism: News networks assign their journalists and request them to use small drones while documenting a story. The application of drone is to attach to the body part of the journalist while recording an actual event of a certain procedure. Examples are documenting an actual food processing operation, police operations, or human trafficking cases.


32. News Update: News networks use a variety of drones to ensure that the quality of reporting a certain scene gains the attention of the viewers. The application is to capture a photo or moving images to update ongoing scenes or events to the audiences. Examples are making an update to press conferences, live footage of a police operation, or covering a large event.


33. Interview: For journalists who are currently on mobile while they are conducting an interview, using drones can replace cameraman to fulfill their reporting assignments. The application is to cover the conversations between the reporter and the interviewee to the public. Audiences can still have the chance to listen to what the interviewee has to say about latest events.


34. Travel Update: News reporters are assigned to visit some of the hottest tourist spots in the world and use drones to make latest updates about the place. The application is to discover the latest tourist spots that are both natural and man made that is available to accommodate tourists. Reporters will travel to the actual tourist spot to show the actual attractions such as the beach, restaurants, caves, and architectural centers.


How Scientist are using Drone for Experiment?

35. Study Land Animal Behaviors: Animal scientists attach the drones to wild animals such as leopards after returning them to the wild. The drone will show how leopards hunt their prey, guard their offspring, and to mate with the opposite sex. The footage uncovers other mysterious behaviors captured by the drones in the wild.


36. Volcanology Experimentation: Volcanologists use flying drones to an active volcano as it shows its lava lake. The application of the drone is to visualize the current location of the lava lake that is unreachable by human presence due to an extreme heat. Drones usually burn out as they approach the hot surface of the lava due to the extreme heat.


37. Search for New Species of Animals and Plants: Drones are attached to trees to help environmental and animal scientists in remote jungles while discovering the remote forest. The application is to discover unexplored forests that hide animal and plant species unknown to humans. The drones are designed to operate at a 360-degree angle to capture at least 100 moving images and photos at a limited time.


38. Time-Lapse on Flora: Plants behaves very slowly, which is why scientists place drones for several days or even weeks. The application is to capture the plant’s physiology such as growth and development to present an every detail of its behavior. Scientists usually focus on the blooming flowers, growing fruits, and the behavior of its roots.


39. Cryptozoology Investigation: In every part of the world, there are sightings of unexplained creatures that are usually captured by either an amateur camera or video. The application is to make an actual evidence of the cryptic creature. One example is the investigation on the myth of the monster in Loch Ness Lake in Great Britain. Biologists and local government units located within the area usually initiates the investigation to confirm the existence of the cryptic to be installed along the shores of Lake Loch Ness.


40. Explore Undiscovered Tribes: In Brazil and Papua New Guinea, satellite drones helps sociologists, anthropologists, and local government units to search for remaining isolated tribes. The application of drones is to capture images of a certain forest by satellites that contain manmade structures from a remote forest. Satellite drones are able to confirm a variety of undiscovered tribes by zooming the isolated area.