Hello. My name is Ben Lovegrove and I used to own a drone aerial photography business.
In this video I'm going to give my answer to the question "What Are Drones Used For"
and list 31 uses for flying drones and UAV.
Drones or UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are being employed in ever increasing areas of
life. Apart from the fact that they are small, light, and maneuverable drones have many other
uses. If the task is dull, dirty, or dangerous then it makes far more sense to send in a
drone.
It seems barely a week goes by without new uses for drones being imagined and realised.
So here is my list. If you can think of any I've missed then please add a comment under
this video.
1. Aerial Photography
If there’s one thing most people consider when they think of uses for drones it is aerial
photography. It’s a huge field with lots of spin-offs and niche areas. It’s the basis
of the whole civil UAV industry and the entry point for most, if not all, drone pilots.
Drone aerial photography and filming is an industry and a service in itself.
2. Film and TV Footage
Film and TV companies were very quick to take advantage of the burgeoning drone technology.
They tend to have larger budgets for new equipment and the latest gadgets. The footage and shots
achievable from hexacopters and octocopters carrying broadcast grade cameras have proved
they justify the investment.
Perhaps you can remember that most aerial shots on TV dramas and documentaries were
either created using a camera boom or captured from the helicopter. Now, drone footage is
commonplace and while booms and helicopters still have their uses the new aerial footage
has added much to these programs.
3. Aerial Mapping
There was a time when Google Earth and Google Maps was the state of the art but there is
so much more to do with mapping the planet’s surface. Drones designed and equipped for
mapping and programmed to fly in grid patterns are slowly building up a very detailed picture
of our home planet.
4. Archaeological Digs & Research
It's long been known that aerial photos can reveal clues about the history hidden in the
landscape. Some sites are only fully appreciated from the air. You only have to think of the
Nazca plains in Peru. One of the many uses for drones is in the field of archaeological
research.
Time, weather, and budget can prohibit the use of manned aircraft at a site but a quick
scan of the area from 300 feet using a small drone can be like switching on a light. Suddenly
all is revealed and made clear.
5. Filming Marine Wildlife
No doubt you’ve seen in the press or on social media those spectacular shots of pods
of whales or a mother and calf, shot from a few hundred feet. It has given us a view
that was denied to most of us a few years ago.
Apart from the spectacle there are all kinds of research advantages enabled by the use
of drones at sea. Drones can be launched from the shore but the real benefits are out on
the open ocean.
However, drone pilots at sea need to have particularly good handling and navigation
skills. There are few options for emergency landings and even if you’ve flown the UAV
back to base you may have to land it on a moving vessel. Some have learned the hard
way that this is not easy and watched as their precious drone lands not safely on deck but
in the water.
6. Filming Land Wildlife
The earth’s wildlife provides an endless source of joy and wonder. In order to observe
it at close quarters without causing any disturbance film and TV companies have devised all kinds
of cams; rock cam, dung cam, log cam etc. They all work well up to a point but there
is no substitute for aerial shots and the bird’s eye view.
Sometimes sufficient aerial footage is achieved by flying just a few feet off the ground.
Not all herds need to be filmed top-down from the overhead. You can mix such clips up with
drone footage captured around the subject at a height only just above it.
7. Anti Poaching
The only disappointing aspect to wildlife documentaries is that they frequently include
references to the damage done by humans to wildlife habitat. For the larger mammals of
Africa and other continents there is also the ugly reality of poaching.
Drones are now being used in the fight against poachers - and it is a fight for these men
are armed and dangerous. A drone that can pick up tracks or even follow suspects is
the ideal tool for the job. It’s quieter and cheaper than a helicopter and being unmanned
there is no risk of anyone being shot by poachers alerted to its presence.
8. Environmental and Meteorological Monitoring
High and medium altitude drones that fly autonomously for days on end are circling the earth and
gathering data on the weather and the environment.
9. Police Work
The Police Service has made good use of drone technology. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints
the amount of use varies from county to county in the UK. A DJI Phantom or Inspire in the
back of a patrol car can be quickly sent up to film or photograph the scene of a car accident.
The savings in time spent on site by the officers could be significant, not to mention the delays
and frustrations caused to motorists while the road or lane is closed.
10. Search and Rescue
The ability of drones see from viewpoints denied to crew on foot makes them ideal allies
during search and rescue missions. When people are lost, injured, or in distress it is not
always possible to send in a SAR helicopter. The location and the weather may rule out
any manned aerial vehicle. Rescuers arriving on the scene can use unmanned aviation to
asses the situation and to direct rescuers on foot.
11. Property Photography
This is one of the aerial photography niche areas mentioned in the opening paragraph of
this post. Estate agents have been quick to take up drone filming in order to help promote
and sell property. The ability to display particularly large properties with acres of
garden or pasture has tempted buyers to make the journey and to close sales.
12. Domestic Roof Inspections
Storm damage, debris, blocked gutters, leaks in the upstairs rooms - all these are a source
of worry to householders and landlords. Ladders are risky and scaffolding costs can rapidly
escalate.
Far better to send up a drone to inspect the roof. The video footage can be kept for review
or forwarded on to other contractors. With one clever device you’ve eliminated the
risk of ladders and avoided the costs of scaffolding.
You’ve also prevented yourself from being defrauded by a roofing contractor quoting
for unnecessary work.
13. Industrial Roof Inspections
If you can do it for homes you can also do it for factories and industrial units. It’s
only a matter of scale. With large industrial complexes there are huge benefits in terms
of cost savings and the lessening of risk to humans through physical inspection of hard
to reach areas.
14. Planning Inspections
Local government inspectors are always keen to find new ways to improve efficiency and
making their funds go further. Well, that’s the theory at least. Drones can be used to
check that new buildings, extensions, and other work is in compliance with local planning
laws.
15. Solar Park Inspections
There has been a boom in the building of solar parks in the UK countryside in the past few
years. They have appeared in all kinds of places, on farmland and abandoned airfields.
They cover large areas with thousands of panels. To inspect them all on foot for damaged or
inoperative PV cells is a labour intensive task so one of the uses for drones is to scan
them row by row. With the correct type of camera it is possible to identify any malfunctioning
cell.
16. Environmental Compliance Inspections
How can you tell if the farm, factory, or industrial area is compliant with local environmental
laws and rulings? Inspections on foot are one option but the bird's eye view of a UAV
will capture the conclusive evidence and exonerate those who might be under suspicion on non-compliance.
17. Drone Deliveries
Most people have heard of this one. Amazon are now conducting tests at a secret location
in the UK. However, I think we’re still a long way from the really important stuff
like delivery of beer and pizza.
18. Disaster Relief
In areas devastated by wars and natural disasters it becomes essential to know what roads are
open and what bridges are intact. Disaster relief agencies and military personnel can
use drones to quickly gather information while the expensive and less numerous helicopters
and land vehicles load up with supplies.
Time is short and the sooner they have created an accurate map of the situation the more
quickly and efficiently they can deliver supplies to where they are most needed.
19. Emergency Medical Supplies
In poorer countries where roads are dust in the summer and impassable mud in the rainy
season people die for want of basic medicines. Drones can be used to deliver small payloads
of medicines to remote villages.
20. News Filming
The news helicopters will continue to fly for years to come but there are many instances
where a drone is the better tool for the job. Consider outside broadcast units at an event
or situation that would benefit from an aerial shot but where the presence of a helicopter
would be disruptive or dangerous.
21. Sports Filming
With the arrival on the market of drones that follow an individual it’s now possible to
obtain footage of, for example, skiers, cyclists, skateboarders, surfers and all kinds of sports
in ways that were impossible before developments in UAS technology.
22. Pipeline and Power Line Inspection
UAV can be designed and modified to carry out any task that is dull, dirty, or dangerous.
Pipeline and power line inspection fall into at least one of those categories. It’s a
lot more cost effective to conduct a preliminary inspection remotely before sending out the
crew by helicopter or by land transport.
23. Tunnel Inspection
Did you see the footage of the Crossrail tunnels on the news just after they had completed
the main sections underneath London? They sent a drone through them to show what they
had achieved. The tunnels are very large so flying a drone within them is not difficult
but UAV could also be used to inspect smaller tunnels.
24. Precision Agriculture With Fixed Wing UAV
Agriculture is one of the biggest growth areas for fixed wing drones. Farmers have found
all kinds of uses for them and have been quick to employ these robotic friends to help improve
yields and for more effective pest and disease control.
UAV can pinpoint breakouts of pests and disease within a specific area. The treatment can
then be applied directly on to that area alone instead of the entire field. This enables
a huge saving on the cost of treatment as there is far less wasted spraying. It’s
a sort of agricultural surgical strike.
25. Advertising And Promotional Videos
There are countless ways in which drone video services can be used to help satisfy the never
ending demand for more advertising and promotional videos. Whether you’re filming an ad for
a new car or creating a music video drones are part of your marketing toolbox.
26. Weddings, Parties, Events
Wedding photographers were among the first to capitalise on the potential offered by
the new aerial cameras. They offer an edge that can win new business in a competitive
market. Anyyone planning a wedding wants to be certain that the event is filmed and photographed
in as much detail as possible so that they can relive the experience and pass on the
memories.
27. Drone Racing And VR
This is an area that is generating a lot interest. Obviously it appeals more to the younger adults
and teenagers but like all games of this type anyone of any age can play. Combining drone
racing with VR makes it accessible to all, regardless of age or ability.
28. Making Art With Drones
Artists are often quick to spot the potential of new technology as a tool that will enable
new ways of expression. A swarm (flock?) of drones each with one light or several, flying
in formation or moving like a murmuration of starlings can produce dramatic and eerie
effects.
29. Aircraft Inspection
So you’ve got an Airbus A380 in a corner of the airport and you need to inspect it
from nose to tail. What better way than to fly an aerial camera along its length.
30. Internet Access
There are many who yearn to join our connected world and to add their devices to the internet
of things. High flying UAV can extend the internet to remote areas where the land based
infrastructure is basic and incomplete.
31. Military Drones
Lastly, there is warfare. It’s a controversial topic that generates heated debate but whatever
the legal and moral implications there are distinct benefits from using armed and unarmed
UAV on the battlefield. There are micro drones that can fly round a corner, over a wall,
and into a building. There are fixed wing and rotary drones that can be quickly launched
on the battlefield to provide intelligence on enemy movements and positions.
Then there are the more well known armed drone that can launch missiles at targets so remotely
that the unfortunate victims are probably unaware of their impending doom.
Thanks for watching! I hope you found this interesting and useful. Please give the video
a thumbs up, share it, and add a comment below. Did I miss any uses for drones?