January 11, 2019
In recent months our newsfeeds and timelines have been flooded with the countless reasons to rebel against the growth of drone technology. This may be due to the fact that we are often presented with the extreme sides of these pilotless aircrafts, so much so that the commercial benefits tend to get buried underneath the fear. You hear them referred to as cheap toys and see them buzzing around a park or beach. Alternatively, you will have seen them as front page news, painting the image of an expensive military weapon, front and centre of an ominous exchange. While both scenarios may ring true, it would be ignorant to deny that the commercial use of drones is on the rise and will bring with it undeniable benefits to businesses and consumers alike.
Despite the fact that pilotless aircrafts have been around in one form or another since the mid-1800s, recent years have seen a remarkable peak in interest in drone technology. With the consumer use of drones being by far the most popular, the number sold for this purpose is thought to rise to around 2.8m throughout the course of this year, however revelations surrounding the safety of our privacy may affect this prediction. The ambiguity adjoining the purpose of each drone you see roaming your neighbourhood, can often leave people feeling unsettled and watched, however new statistics show that although they are often thought to have high-end, military level cameras, with an ability to assess every inch of your property, this is rarely the case. This robotics are the things of dreams for those avid hobbyists among us, however with such a controversial pastime on the rise, how can we ensure the continuation of essential everyday systems?
It has been thought for years that we’d see the day when the once futuristic concept would come to our skies, and change not only how we interact with the booming e-commerce industry, but the way we function in a number of professions. It is inevitable that the technology in itself will massively diversify the face of the professional world as we know it, and many careers that were once considered integral parts of society, are now becoming a thing of the past. While this has been a looming concept for the majority of the 21st century, due to the pace of such progression increasing year on year, it seems the gradual development of robotics may have been left in the background. Sporadic conversations have arisen over the last decade but the true controversy has only reared its’ head in recent months. At the end of last year drone sightings over Gatwick Airport, sent the country into chaos as flights were stalled and military operations were put in place, to assess the imminent threat. As these scenarios have been forced to the forefront of our minds, it begs the question; will the full commercial potential of drone technology be realised if we are overridden with fear of the unknown?
The opportunities are limitless, however the most apparent have already been put into action. Ironically, one of the most popular uses for commercial drones is for high production security operations, which often utilise these mechanics to track and apprehend criminals as well as prevent any possible threat. These methods have been utilised for a while now, however Google and Amazon are among those in midst of state of the art drone projects. Amazon has been one of the more vocal corporations in regards to their plans for a one-day service, for the delivery of light packages via the use of drones. The seemingly fictitious service is set to launch throughout 2019 however an exact date is yet to be released. Amazon have made bold comments referencing their plans for the unmanned aerial vehicles, stating “One day, seeing Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road.”
