5 Interesting (and a little strange)…Uses for Your Drone You Wouldn’t Expect

May 4th, 2017

Nowadays, it seems like there are drones for everything, from farming and wildlife protection, to law enforcement and taco delivery, drones are everywhere and there aren’t any signs the takeover is going to slow down. These autonomous flying vehicles are making certain aspects of life much easier. Some ways, like the delivery of your Amazon order, may be expected. But others are not. Read on to learn about five interesting, but a little strange, uses for drones that you wouldn’t expect.

interesting uses for drones

Using Drones for News and Sports

Drones are going to change the way that many of us watch tv, just look at this year’s Super Bowl, in which 100s of drones helped kick off the Halftime show. Because drones provide a unique view and perspective compared to fixed cameras, they will be extremely effective in change the way we watch sports. Certain sports already have seen a huge growth in the use of drones for aerial photography, such as football, golf, and Nascar. One of the biggest benefits to ditching the fixed camera and switching to drones is that drones can follow along with the action, soon having the capabilities to follow athletes and film them up close. Besides sports, drone cameras also have the ability to change the way we see the news, especially breaking news scenes. Drones can fly in and capture all the action in real time, from crimes in progress, fires, traffic jams, and much more!

Drone display

Drone Display at the 2017 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Photo Credit: Intel

Drones for Real Estate Photography

Calling all realtors!! Did you know that you can use drones and drone cameras to make the most out of your listing? When you are trying to sell a home, the most obvious way to get potential buyers interested is by showing them photos of the property. Over the years, realtors began using video walkthroughs to give potential buyers a better picture of the home than just regular photos can portray. Although these virtual walkthroughs never really caught on, the idea of videos showcasing the home did. Using drones and quadcopters, real estate agents can now film video of the home, vividly showcasing all the different elements and features of the home (ex basketball court, pool), scenic views, and surrounding landscape.

Plane Inspection

Recently, drones have gotten a reputation in the aviary world, as they are often in the news for flying too close to airplanes. Although this is cause for concern, drones may be able to help better the aircraft world, while the planes are safely on the ground. A number of airlines, including EasyJet, are evaluating the use of drones as tools to speed up aircraft inspections. As of now, airplane inspection are done by trained engineers, as certain areas of the plane are more difficult to inspect than others. Drones, and more specifically quadcopters, can fly all around the plane, easily reaching the areas difficult for the engineer to access, and take HD videos and photos that an engineer can review after. Using drones would speed up the inspection process, and allow engineers to work from a remote position while still examining all areas of the aircraft.

drone for plane inspection

Photo Credit: Engadget

Search and Rescue Missions

This one may not be as strange or uncommon as the other uses on this list, but using drones for search and rescue missions is still new and slowly becoming more mainstream. Although the news often speaks of the negative uses of drones, like spying or invading people’s privacy, search and rescue missions is one of the most positive uses for drones! Because drones can fly low to the ground, maneuver into difficult to access areas, and provide aerial video and photos for a relatively cheap price, there potential to help with search and rescue missions is huge. Drones can even carry thermal imaging equipment to help quickly located people and animals on the ground. Last year, drones were used in search and rescue missions in Texas after there was extreme flooding. We expect to see many more cases like this to come, as people realize the potential drones have for search and rescue missions. drones and wireless charging

Disease Prevention

Now this one may be one of the strangest and most unknown uses for drones out there. How could unmanned flying vehicles help with the prevention of spreading disease? It’s not as weird as you think! Microsoft is actually experimenting with the use of drones for medical purposes, specifically to determine who might get sick and where before it actually happens. To do this, drones would be equipped with a bug collection device and then flown around outdoors in various areas. After the drone returns with the collected bugs, scientists can then analyze them and predict if an outbreak is imminent in local, regional, or national areas. This use is still mostly just theoretical, as the actual process behind it is a bit more complex; some have brought up the question as to how the drone would distinguish between a mosquito (the bug scientists would most be interested in) and let’s say just your common housefly. Regardless, if this use of drones became mainstream, scientists would be able to warn of malaria or other infectious disease outbreaks before they actually happened, allowing people to take the necessary precautions in advance!

Drones and Wireless Charging

With all of these revolutionary uses for drones becoming more mainstream, drones will need the ability to charge wirelessly. Drones are supposed to be autonomous. If you don’t need a human pilot on board to fly it, why should you need a human on the ground to charge it? Integrating wireless charging stations with the drone technology already available is key to making drones truly autonomous. Imagine a drone taking off, flying around and completing its mission, whether it’s to take images of a house for sale or scan an area for infectious mosquitoes, then it comes back to its base, lands itself, and recharges. wireless charging station for drones Most of the fascination with drones stems from the fact that they are self-flying – that they can do something that previously required human intervention. If a drone can fly by itself, we believe it should be able to charge itself too.

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As drones are becoming more and more popular, it seems like they can be used in almost any area of our lives. Because by nature drones are autonomous, they can do certain jobs that people cannot – such as taking a video from the top of a house that’s for sale, or scanning flooded areas for heat signatures in order to locate victims.