With the pandemic still ongoing, the use of drones for medical and commercial purposes has made different tasks possible to perform under safe conditions.

While drones were originally used for military purposes, different types of commercial drones or unmanned aerial vehicles are now being used by civilians and outside of military programs. However, drone flying activities are under strict supervision, where in the U.S. the Federal Aviation Authority is in charge. In additions, 44 out of 50 U.S. jurisdictions have enacted that laws that prescribe guideline and rules for restricted safe use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).

Continuous scientific advancement of drone technology saw to various modifications that enabled the commercial industry to offer drone in various sectors. Some examples of how drones are used today include : supply delivery, making three-dimensional maps, landscape surveying, searching for missing persons, weather forecasting, firefighting, inspection of pipelines, wildlife conservation, filming videos, taking photos, and for agricultural as well as academic purposes. .

Most Recent Innovations in Drone Technology

Drone manufacturers keep upgrading their unmanned aerial systems, often outshining existing versions in many ways of which the most recent are the following:

Intelligent Interface Many of today’s drones can now be controlled using smartphones and mobile applications. Manufacturers have created proprietary application that can be downloaded via the Apple Store for iOS devices or the Google Play Store for Android-supported devices.

Obstacle Avoidance Sensors – This feature is quite significant as a safety solution feature since the UAV has the capability to scan the surrounding environment; whilst creating a three-dimensional map. The drone operator then will be able to identify obstacles to dodge.

No Fly Zone– The latest editions of drones includes a feature where it marks restricted areas listed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This greatly ensures safety as the feature will warn the user if ever the drone gets near into one of “No Fly Zones”

Live Video Relaying of First Person View – The video camera attached to the drones have advanced live streaming capabilities that allows the drone to transmit radio signals to the controller. This gives a unique and at the same time exhilarating experience to the drone pilot as allows the drone to fly higher. Technically however, flying the drone past one’s visibility range, is considered unsafe and the advanced feature will likely require additional restriction.