Our phones, AI, virtual reality, and drones have all exploded over the past few years. Though this technology is not new, we are seeing massive growth in how they are used and more importantly, how they are making our lives easier and safer.
The first drone, if we’re using the definition of unmanned aircraft very loosely, was actually a hot air balloon in 1783! With that dazzling start, it wasn’t actually until the early 2000s that we saw the consumer drone market really take off. After the public all got their first drone, and promptly got it stuck in a tree, we started to work towards how these can be used in more commercial ways. 2013 was the first time major companies like Amazon, Google, Uber, and more began using drones in amazingly innovative ways.
Drones are able to cover large areas faster and more efficiently. Not to mention the job creation with needing drone operators and manufacturers. Money saved from using drone technology will also allow businesses to grow and lower costs for consumers. An estimated 100,000 jobs will be created in the next 10 years thanks to the use of drone technology. Lastly, and what this article is focusing on, drones allow for safer work to be done in our most dangerous professions.
Drones in Construction Site Inspections
Construction sites need to be inspected from beginning to end to catch potential dangers to the crew. Between excavated land creating fall risks and large machinery and tools bringing a slew of potential injury creators to the site, the job of an inspector can be very dangerous. Inspecting, even by humans, isn’t just done on the ground though. Inspectors commonly climb scaffolding and navigate to hard-to-reach areas all in the name of safety. Anything not caught by the inspector can also cause huge problems for anyone working.
It shouldn’t be a shock to know how drones make this job infinitely safer. Drones can access spaces high up or difficult to reach with ease. With the ability to see exactly what the drone is seeing, human eyes can still detect dangers while safely far away from them. Besides being easy, drones also speed up the process. No longer would inspectors need to take time harnessing up to go high in the sky, or walk a large site on foot to make sure nothing is missed. Drones also offer an advancement the human eye will never have, thermal imaging. With thermal imaging, drones can detect temperature differences due to a gas leak or other temperature-related dangers without humans getting too close.
Drones don’t just have a use for inspection when workers are off-site, however. On-site drone monitoring allows construction site managers to have their eyes on potential hazards 24/7. Drones can also catch unauthorized access to the site, like a flying security guard, keeping the site and whoever trespassed safe.
Agricultural Inspections Transformed
Farming is as old as civilization itself, and now it's getting a massive upgrade! Traditionally, monitoring of crops, seeding, watering, and basic health checks was done by hand. Modern vehicles have allowed us to be faster, but it can still be a full day’s work to do just one of the things needed to sustain crops. Besides the time-consuming nature of farming, it can also be dangerous. Crop dusting is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in farming as it involves flying an aircraft with chemicals very close to the ground.
Enter the drone. Now one person can view and monitor acres of crops faster and easier than ever before. This isn’t just important when it comes to saving the company time. Being able to detect diseased crops quickly means farmers can prevent them from spreading, potentially saving hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of food. The crop dusting job we mentioned earlier? Drones can eliminate the human element involved in that, turning it from the most dangerous job to the safest. Recently, multi-rotor drones have also been used for isolated spraying because of their ability to hover and perform precise tasks. The use of computer detection combined with the human eye can also find problems in irrigation like under or over-watering.
Speaking of computer technology, drones come with all sorts of sensors that can catch problems humans just can’t see. From the thermal imaging we mentioned earlier that can detect extreme temperatures, there are also multispectral sensors that detect light absorption, and LiDDAR sensors which can make 3D maps of the land. Since all this info is instantly available, it can also be collected and stored digitally to improve methods for the future. Increased data collection and more free time for the farmers to analyze said data means we can grow crops better and better every year.
The Power of 3D Modeling and Digital Twin Creation
A digital twin is a virtual model of a real-life object. This can be as simple as one piece of equipment, or an entire town. Digital twin creation doesn’t just create a 3D model however, it can also mimic the function and uses of the object. These are created to identify potential problems with equipment and run it through scenarios that would be too costly or time-consuming to do in real life.
Many fields use digital twin creation. Construction, manufacturing, energy, automotive, and even healthcare use this to create better methods and tools. While the data gathered by 3D modeling and digital twinning is necessary, the process of creating it is time-consuming and potentially dangerous.
Since you need exact measurements to create a digital twin, workers are needed to scan and capture every inch of what is being copied. When it comes to copying one piece over to the virtual realm, that might seem simple. But what about large construction sites or an entire building? Even capturing one wind turbine would usually require a worker going over 200 ft into the air.
It’s easy to see how drones improve this process. The cameras on drones don’t just allow us to have our eyes in the sky, they also allow data to be sent back instantly. They collect an image, measurements, 3D modeling, and thermal data in the blink of a human eye. That information is then automatically uploaded and workers can use it to create a digital twin faster than ever before. Once again though, it isn’t all about speed. Sending drones across construction sites or into condemned buildings to gather this data keeps humans out and safe. Drones can also monitor spaces 24/7 and then alert to any potential hazards, meaning the humans in charge can avoid fatigue and instead focus on what matters, solving these problems detected by the drone.
Search and Rescue: Saving Lives with Drones
Search and rescue workers are heroes. They answer the call to save thousands when it comes to natural disasters, or even one person having a really bad day. It comes as no surprise though that a person in need of rescue is often in a dangerous situation that search and rescue workers must enter to save them. So how can drones help?
One of the most important things when it comes to rescue is speed. Drones can get anywhere much faster than any human-manned object, even other flying devices like helicopters. Due to their size, they can also reach inaccessible places with ease. Now, humans are still needed for the actual rescue part, but having drones arrive at the scene quickly means they can get important information needed to save them. This is due to all the detection software and sensors drones are equipped with. Rescuers can have eyes on the scene and data like where a person is and what the terrain and potential hazards are before they even set foot there. Thermal detection can also search for trapped bodies which means rescuers don’t need to waste time or expend energy sifting through debris.
Drones also assist while search and rescue is on scene. They can be equipped with spotlights to quickly illuminate the scene. Microphones and speakers can also quickly relay messages to those needing help, or allow fast communication between the ones doing the helping. -
In fact, drone technology got its start in civilian airspace for this exact reason. Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters to hit the US in years. After seeing the chaos left behind, the FAA allowed drones to assist in disaster relief efforts. Though these drones were not nearly as advanced as their modern counterparts, they could still sense the heat signatures of humans from up to 10,000 feet away, saving countless lives. Since then we have used drones to save hikers who are injured or lost, detect humans under rubble due to natural disasters, and scan the open seas for missing boats and their crew.
One recent example of drone usage was during the exhaustive search for the Titan submersible that went missing in June of this year. Not the flying drones we think of, but underwater drones that could scan the sea floor and pick up incredibly faint noises.
Safety Enhancements in Orthomosaic Mapping
We’ve all messed around with Google Maps, giving us a pretty good idea of orthomosaic mapping. Orthomosaic mapping involves capturing multiple smaller photos of a large area. The smaller photos need to have an overlap of at least 70% in order to create an accurate image. But why orthomosaic mapping and not just one large ariel photo?
Orthomosaic mapping is more accurate than one photo, which can have major distortion. Their accuracy is so good, that the images can be used to capture incredible amounts of data. Environmentally speaking, this allows humans to catch changes in vegetation, invasive species, changes in landscape, water levels, and other info to study the effects on the terrain. Having this information can also identify high-risk conditions that can cause wildfires, or potential problems if a natural disaster were to hit, like water runoffs. The precise measuring involved with orthomosaic mapping also allows construction projects to map out where and how something will sit on an area of land in as safe a way as possible.
Because of the sheer amount of images and data that is needed, human collection is long, tedious, and risky. Flying above the land for hours on end, facing potentially dangerous weather, and needing to account for altitude and lens tilt make this a difficult job. However, drones can handle all that with ease. Each picture a drone takes is instantly embedded with all the data like what was mentioned in the previous sentence. Workers on the ground can then use computer programs to join images together with ease. This speed allows us to build projects faster, or detect environmental problems before they impact humans. And once again, speeding up this process means our focus can be on solving things rather than creating them.
Promoting Safety Through Education
Here at Teslas Drones, we truly love how this technology can make the world a safer place. We don’t just aim to sell our services, we are educators in the field of drone usage. Our company offers classes, explainer videos, and blogs just like this one to spread the message of what drones can do. Not only that, but we want this technology to be accessible to everyone, so safety using drones is just as common as the yellow hard hat.
We offer education and services in each of the usages listed above. Teslas Drones is also dedicated to giving back to the community. We donate a portion of our funds and offer free services to community projects that will have a positive change. We also work with rescue services free of charge. With seven types of drones at our disposal, we have the tools to do any job. Not just the collecting of images, our company also can help create the videos or 3D models needed.
Our ultimate goal is to eliminate the need to put humans in dangerous conditions to do the jobs we need done. Our commitment to community education means businesses will have no reason to deny drones many uses and keep their workers safe.
Conclusion
No matter the industry, the benefits of using drones are obvious. With the ability to access dangerous areas, we can bring the risk for humans down to almost zero. The sensors and software modern drones are equipped with allow for faster and more accurate data collection. The money companies can save by switching to drone technology helps them and the communities they serve. Lower product costs and more money for other improvements in the industries can only bring growth like no other. And we don’t even need to convince you on how safer workplaces will make workers happier.
Our world is constantly changing, and looking at history one thing is always clear. The people who embrace change and find innovative ways to use new technology always succeed. Drones are the newest workforce member, and they don’t need to eliminate the human eye or brain. They just need to make sure that human is safe. Companies that embrace drones with open wings will see the benefits in no time, we guarantee it.
References
We mentioned a lot of data and information above. To learn more about any individual topic, check out our resources below. Also, make sure to visit https://www.teslasdrones.com/ for more information on what we do.
History of Drones
Drones in Construction
Drones in Agriculture
Digital Twinning
Search and Rescue
Orthomosaic Mapping
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