Drones: What Are They Good For? April 27, 2017
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Nature, Sustainable Living.trackback
Not just for “peeping Toms,” drones have a number of applications to improve things for the good.
Drones can be used for monitoring the health of farm fields, providing humanitarian aid, assisting first responders, conducting safety inspections of hard to reach places, surveying property damage for insurance claims, forecasting severe weather, and tracking poachers:
Drones have been a hot topic in the news for some time. Depending on what you’ve read, they’re devastatingly effective weapons of war, the next big threat to personal privacy, a revolutionary leap in video technology, or hazardous toys capable of chopping your fingers off.
To be fair, there’s a measure of truth to all those statements. But you might be surprised to learn that drones will soon affect our everyday lives in a host of useful ways. People are already using them to deliver fast food to hungry teens in Virginia, improve the productivity of Midwestern farms, and even protect rhinos and elephants in Africa from poachers.
To read more: 10 Ways Drones Are Changing Your World (Consumer Reports)
Aah . . . that’s better!
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Spirit Lights The Way 
and I thought they were to take pictures of naked sunbathers!
Nope . . . not just for Peeping Toms any more. 😀
I want a drone of my own. I have no interest in any salacious photos of nekkid ppl. However, I want one that will take a written note to my husband explaining what he’s doing wrong. Again. Bet a message delivered by drone would get his attention!
You could also try using one of those robotic vacuum cleaners to deliver your “you’re doing it wrong” messages. 😀
Nice idea! Could work.
In the movie Passengers, the guy asks the girl for a date via a robotic vacuum. Very cute.
Love that idea!
Have you seen Passengers, Linda? It’s a romantic Sci-Fi story with lots of thoughts to ponder at its conclusion.
It seems that drones are the latest “must have” thing! It is hard to keep up with the rate of progress in technology. I like to try though.
I am not inclined to purchase a drone for my own use . . . but it’s nice to see they have so many useful applications.
There’s a lot of discussion about using drones for package delivery. The problem with that is, that here on Long Island where I live, almost every residential street has trees growing along the sides. Most of them have large thick limbs and branches growing stretched out over the streets, and over the front walks. That means that the majority of delivering drones would be smashed before they reached their destinations. It’s not only the trees that would be a problem. The low flying aircraft might easily smash into moving vehicles, or into windows of homes; causing who knows how much damage; along with injuries or deaths.
I think that means it’s best for everyone to leave the deliveries to the truck drivers; and the drones to the military.
Drones are pretty agile . . . and find it easy to maneuver around any trees, limbs, and branches in their path.
Provided that the operator is not asleep at the switch. 😀
That’s another part of the problem. Distracted piloting by whoever’s sitting at the console, wherever that may be. would the operator be held legally liable?
If an accident is caused by operator negligence without due regard for the safety of others, the company/operator would be legally liable.
Our A/C guy has a drone. He got some great aerial shots of our house and the neighborhood. Although they have there purpose, I don’t necessarily like the idea of drones taking jobs from humans.
For most of the applications in the article, it wouldn’t be feasible or advantage for a human to take the place of the drone . . . too dangerous and/or expensive.
Drones are also great fun to fly — I’ve had hours of entertainment out of my tiny one.
Boys and their toys! Vroom. Vroom.
A neighbor flies every morning . . . before coffee. He sometimes comes home with a “limping UAV” due to an unexpected run in with a basketball backboard or tree. But I don’t think his UAV’s have a camera on board like most drones.
I can close my fist round mine, and no camera is on board. I stick to my own territory.
A new sport may become drenching dratted drones with a water-cannon! A shotgun would be more fun, but the law might object to that.
Haha! I saw a youtube video of a farmer shooting a drone out of the sky with a shotgun . . . “pesky varmints!”
I wonder what people said about the motor car when it was introduced….
Thanks for sharing a bigger perspective Nancy! (like an aerial phograph)
I’ve heard that people HATED the motor car because it caused their horses angst . . .
“WILBUR!”
I see them all the time taking photos in crowds, but I didn’t know they were already being used to make deliveries. I’m sure there are misuses in our future but it will be interesting to see how many popular uses are developed, too!
Agreed! Every advance in technology has positive and negative applications . . . depending on who is “at the helm.”
I’ve heard about the food delivery drones. I’d love a drone of my own! The only concern I have about drones is the possible loss of jobs. Companies are already looking for ways to cut staff. This gives them more incentive.
Some jobs are perfect for drones & robots . . . and not so perfect for people. The robotic bartender in Passengers is fantastic!
That said, sometimes the “human touch” is just what’s needed.
I haven’t seen Passengers yet, but I’d like to see it.
I bought a small drone a few months ago, on a whim. I found that it was good for smashing into the ceiling and walls, crashing onto the floor, losing propellers, and terrifying all of our pets. It also made a fine donation to our local thrift store.
Haha! I can see you fumbling away at the controls as your pets cowered in the corner. I’m sure your thrift store appreciated your generosity! 😀
I was an opponent to these little machines in the beginning because they were really used as harmful toys taking pictures of people in secret and flying in the paths of air crafts…I still don’t like when one hovers right above me. But as new, useful applications have been invented, I look at them a bit differently now 🙂
Me too! And they better stay away from your nesting Osprey!
That’s right!
I like the fantastic aerial shots that drones can take.
AI, drones, etc, that’s the future that is already here.
Yes! Hang on . . . the future is NOW!