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magazine
Drones
continued...
Drones sound like
something from the
future, but the staging of
the UK’s first drone show on
December 5-6 shows how the
technology has matured and
now offers opportunities for
businesses to deliver new services or
improve existing ones.
So what business applications are
there for drones? One of the first
sectors to make use of drones was the
photography and media industry, but
drone usage has since branched out
into other areas including agriculture,
surveying, 3D mapping, search and
rescue and much more.
DroneX, an exhibitor at the inaugural
UK Drone Show (see box), is a Bristol-
based high tech start-up specialising in
the design and construction of custom-
made UAV systems for commercial,
industrial and scientific use. Marketing
executive Anna Babarczi says that the
most common applications to date
have been aerial photography and video,
but there are signs that this is changing.
“We are receiving more and more
requests to develop systems for mapping
and infrastructure maintenance. This
clearly shows that there is an increasing
market for observations and utilising
data gathering,” she said.
One application many
expect to grow in the
future is delivery. Amazon
has been working on a
drone delivery system for
a couple of years in the
hope that one day it will be able
to deliver packages to customers using
small unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs).
The technology exists for what Amazon
calls ‘Prime Air’, but there are still hurdles
on the regulatory side and the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) has yet to
approve the launch of a drone delivery
service in the US.
Also exhibiting at the UK Drone Show
is Eye Sky Group, providers of a range
of professional UAV/drone services,
including real estate marketing, mapping,
GIS and surveying, agriculture and
superyacht marketing. Founder and CEO
James Marchant doesn’t expect drone
deliveries to become commonplace any
time soon. He said: “I think it will take a
little bit of time, I don’t think it’s going
to be next year. There’s a lot to get over,
such as battery power. You could use a
bigger battery to fly longer but then the
bigger battery is going to be heavier so
you can’t fly as long. It doesn’t matter
how big you make the battery, the flight
time tends to always be the same, about
half an hour.”
Real benefits
For now, aerial deliveries might be pie in
the sky, but there is no doubt that other
industries are already benefiting from
drones.
Babarczi of DroneX said: “Drones
are absolutely game changing. They
are shifting the whole landscape of
how we will operate businesses in
Following December’s UK Drone Show, Tayla Ansell looks at some of the
applications of drone technology and the rules governing their use
Ready for take-off
We are
receiving
more and
more requests
to develop
systems for
mapping and
infrastructure
maintenance.
UK Drone Show
The UK Drone Show, which took
place at the National Exhibition
Centre (NEC) in Birmingham on
December 5-6, was the largest
consumer drone event ever to
take place in the UK and a great
opportunity for businesses to find
out more about the commercial
applications of small unmanned
aerial vehicles. The event featured
an exhibition of drones, UAV
gadgets and specialist software;
demonstrations of the latest
technology; and expert speakers
who gave an insight into the
future of drones.
Show project manager Oliver
O’Brien said: “Some industries
started using drones a few years
ago, but suddenly more and
more businesses are realising the
advantages and jumping on the
bandwagon.We predict the use
of commercial drone technology
is going to continue to increase
throughout 2016, especially with
DJI, the world’s largest consumer
drone manufacturer, reportedly being
valued at $10 billion.
“In the business arena, drones are
definitely the next big thing for most
industries. The UK Drone Show is the
best place for companies to explore
their options and discover just how
UAV technology can be integrated
into their business.”
