Even though you probably won’t own a drone anytime soon, it’s likely one may fly to your home and deliver your prescriptions or packages someday. As propeller-driven drones evolve, they are becoming common technology tools – similar to cellphones, the internet, and computers.
Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), commonly called drones, have made headlines for interfering with airport operations and spying on people. Behind these incidents are drone flyers who aren’t FAA-licensed, disregard general aviation safety rules and don’t use common sense. Consider them drone “bad guys.”
Drone footage of rafting in Clear Creek. Courtesy DonsDronesofDenver.com
Fortunately, there are many more drone “good guys,” whose work benefits mankind in various ways:
A human kidney and tissue were recently flown by drone 10 miles from one Las Vegas medical facility to another. It proved faster than transporting them through traffic. Drones drop chemicals to help extinguish forest fires and assist firefighters in tracking burn patterns.
Police departments and first responders use drones to locate people who are injured or lost in wilderness and mountain regions. Farmers use drones to map and monitor crops, spray fields, and even plant seeds.
Business Insider reports for-sale home listings using aerial drone photos to sell 68% faster than those without them.
Drones have delivered library books in Virginia, coffee in Australia, and beer in Ireland this year
Next year, Google’s forthcoming home security system will include a small drone, only a few inches tall, that will patrol the inside of your home and alert you if something’s wrong.
Some tiny drones rest in your palm while large ones weigh over 50 pounds. Construction companies, insurance firms, and the TV and movie industries are using drones more than ever. Amazon, Google Wing, UPS, and others are experimenting with drone package deliveries. Watch out: a drone delivery to you may not be that far off!
~ Colorado-based journalist Don Ireland owns a drone services business, Don’s Drones of Denver.