To guarantee you have a business that goes the distance is about making sure you have a plan in place. Technological advancements are occurring almost day by day. There are a huge number of opportunities available for organizations to employ these in a number of ways. Drones have made a massive impact on the world, and many businesses are getting on board with what a drone can achieve. Businesses operate in a variety of different industries, so how can a drone help in the majority of these?
Surveillance
One of the most common practices associated with drones is drone photography. It has become a very efficient alternative to aerial photography that has benefited businesses in a variety of ways.
Drone photography allows businesses to portray their products in a number of new and exciting ways. But in addition to saving money through photography methods that would normally have required expensive aerial footage, surveillance is an avenue that many organizations are using drones to ensure that they are operating safely. You can see how drones are helping to reduce emissions in the construction and earthworks industry, by having continual monitoring of the progress during a project, which allows construction workers to avoid costly and environmentally damaging work, while also protecting animal habitats and reducing the burning of fuel.
Surveillance is critical in a number of ways, and in the construction industry, it can be very costly to make a mistake by digging in an area that has protected species. Surveillance, in this respect, also leads to higher quality sustainability in construction works and many other industries that work on-site.
Medical Deliveries
Drones have been used to deliver products, and there are companies like Amazon that have started drone deliveries but the area where it is making a massive impact is in the healthcare industry.
Drones have been used to deliver supplies, even prior to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2018, the WakeMed Health & Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, conducted initial tests to carry simulated packages across a street. This marked a new wave of possibilities for delivering supplies. While there are strict regulations in local settings, the reality is that in countries like Rwanda, there are fewer regulations around airspaces, which has helped companies like Zipline deliver Covid vaccines in Africa.
There are other potential possibilities for drones in the healthcare setting, for example, they could be a replacement for ambulance drivers when it comes to delivering essential medical supplies.
Healthcare
Drones have been used for deliveries, but drones have been shaping the future of healthcare in a number of different ways:
Telehealth
Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, telehealth has seen a significant increase in demand. Medical businesses are looking to reduce waiting times in different ways, and are relying more on the notion of convenience to ensure that patients are getting seen. While drones are used to carry vaccines or medication, telehealth is an area where it can help individuals who are immunocompromised.
Telehealthcare has been revolutionized because of apps and video calls, and telehealth drones can go to the next level.
Disinfection
Sanitization has been critical in recent years, especially in light of the pandemic, but one part of healthcare that can benefit from drones is sanitation. Portable drone companies such as Perpetual Motion have been using drones to spray disinfectants on the inside and outside of large facilities.
Aerial disinfection is an amazing way to disinfect properties and organizations on a larger scale, which can benefit medical environments quickly and effectively, resulting in better treatment.
Image and Data Analysis
Organizations can use drones as a way to collect information. Data collected by drones can be analyzed so organizations may understand competitors and organizations within the same industry.
AI software can be used to analyze images taken by drones that identify insufficient areas, for example, infrastructures like pipelines or electricity lines. While drones can be used on a large scale, the reality is small businesses can also benefit from using drones as a way to play “private investigator,” by analyzing rivals. There is a moral quandary associated with this, however, the fact is that drones can be used to get greater analysis.
Agriculture
Agricultural businesses can benefit from drones in a similar way to construction. Naturally, photography is one of the most important parts of drone usage. Drones can be invaluable to farmers who are in charge of large plots of land; it allows farmers to spot potential problems such as areas of concern in larger fields or crops that are not growing as they should, allowing farmers to produce better crops and work smarter rather than harder in the long run.
It can also be invaluable in agriculture with regard to the overall topography of the land in question. If a farmer found themselves in dispute with the local government or a landowner with regards to mapping boundaries, drones can provide photographic evidence. Additionally, drones can provide insight into the quality of crops and the irrigation systems on the land.
Drones are helping agricultural businesses by identifying things that would take months or, potentially, years without the relevant technology, all in a matter of hours.
Real Estate Marketing
Real estate businesses have quickly capitalized on the impact of drones. Many commercial real estate firms adopted aerial photography at the very outset but relied on airplanes or helicopters to provide images. Many drone companies can provide images of commercial properties at the fraction of their original cost.
In the world of real estate, they have learned that video and images of all properties from an aerial view or 3D images can sell a property much quicker. Businesses can benefit customers in real estate by creating a virtual experience. From the perspective of a customer looking to buy a home, the benefit of getting all the information online before setting foot into the property can make a big difference in their decision-making.
Drones can create a virtual 3D tour of a property, and with the pictures providing a supplementary collection of images, this can provide a real “in-person” perspective of the property. Many real estate organizations are looking to optimize selling properties, especially as there is a high demand for homes, and it allows convenience on both sides of the (picket) fence.
Safety Inspections
From the perspective of an agricultural or construction business, we’ve seen how drones can be invaluable, but they can also help to save lives as well. Remote inspection services can use drones to venture into hard-to-reach areas by gathering pertinent information about the structures. These can be used in a number of different settings including:
- Buildings.
- Dams.
- Bridges.
Unmanned aircraft of this nature do not put workers in any danger, and they can reduce the overall expenditure of the inspections, while also providing new imagery of the structures that were not previously possible. Safety is pivotal in every environment, and one misstep can result in an organization suffering greatly if someone is in a compromising situation that endangers their life.
Health and safety are critical to any work site, and for all of the health and safety equipment available, a drone can literally provide a new angle to reduce the overall costs and increase the accuracy of inspections.
What Can Businesses Do to Use Drones More Effectively?
Drones are clearly an invaluable asset to businesses of numerous disciplines, but as the use of drones has increased, there has been a greater need to regulate them. Drones have been restricted and less authorized by the FAA in recent years, but now it’s possible to get waivers quickly due to the LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability), and this has made a significant impact on businesses’ abilities to use drones to great effect.
Over the next decade, it’s likely we will see a change in the regulatory guidelines for drones in commercial and private use. Drones are commonly used as a way to take images, but because of the overall impact of such a simple tool that can reinvigorate a number of industries, from medicine to real estate, it’s vital that we understand how we can use drones more effectively.
In the world of technology, it’s clear that innovation in every sector is going to continue as industries utilize tech and tools in a number of different ways. Organizations are becoming more in tune with what they need as a way to work more effectively, while also minimizing the bottom line.
Organizations have no choice but to find ways to cut corners, and as businesses are doing the most to ensure they don’t fall foul of regulation mishaps, it’s critical that they conduct their duties in a way that services the business while also pushing forward with the next phase of what technology can do to make businesses streamline their efforts and work better. Drones are one of those invaluable tools that we will see much more of in the near future and only a matter of time before we will see drones helping businesses in every walk of life.