Drones: 10 Novel Uses For Your City
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Drones have a pretty bad name.
They're mostly thought of as killing machines or privacy invaders. Many of us envision a world with millions of them buzzing through the skies, causing constant noise, or with drones falling from the sky like hail and crashing around us.
But drones are also cheap and incredibly useful tools. Because FAA regulations still limit who can use them, "drones-as-a-service" will remain relatively rare, for now. But state and local governments have started seeing the potential.
The obvious first potential is in police work. Everyone sees the killer drone as the extension of the SWAT team or the bomb squad. That’s all well and good, but for drones to get out of the Hollywood-created perception that they are killing machines we need some other uses for them.
Drones are cheap. Police in Tennessee estimate they can run a drone for $3.80 per hour, compared to a helicopter, which costs $600 per hour. Because of the relative cheapness, there is no reason to restrict the drone's role to that of extension of the police. We found 10 cities around the world that are using drones for other situations.
[Want to learn more about drones? Here's a look.]
Some are still related to emergency services. Some are probably a little frightening. A fair number could be money-makers for governments. But all have a money-saving component. In the right environment, a drone can save governments money and do a job better than traditional assets.
One recent example happened after an earthquake in Washington, D.C. Instead of using drones, human teams rappelled down the side of the Washington Monument to check it for cracks. The same service could have been performed faster, cheaper, and safer by drones.
Hopefully, these 10 use-cases can inspire cities to be more creative with drones. Check them out, and tell us which you think more cities should be trying.
Greensboro, N.C.
Greensboro is considering a proposal from Olaeris for 12 drones that would respond instantly to 911 calls and give first responders a view of the scene. The authorities believe that they can respond to any call within city limits within 90 seconds. The drones are the size of a king-sized mattress. Hmm … a flying machine the size of a king-sized mattress flying over an emergency situation with no police or fire protection. What could possibly go wrong there, except everything?
Nelson County, N.D.
Drones have been used here to stop cattle rustling. The sheriff cornered three men who had stolen six cows. A Predator drone was able to determine the men were unarmed so that police could go in and make an arrest.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Michigan Tech Research Institute is researching whether cities in Michigan could use drones to map unpaved roads and seek out potholes and roads in need of repair.
Delhi
If granted permission from regulatory bodies, Delhi plans on using drones tomonitor trees and forests for deforestation and other environmental problems. While not related to the Delhi project, one startup plans on not just monitoring tree loss, but also combating it with drones that plant seedlings.
Lucknow, India
In a less friendly use of drones in India, the city of Lucknow plans on equipping drones with pepper spray and using them for crowd control. Frankly, I'd rather see a restaurant use this method to grind pepper onto my salad.
Duxbury, Mass.
In quainter news, this small town south of Boston is hosting "family fun days" to raise money for its own drone it plans to use for search and rescue, as well as for building inspections and storm damage assessment. The town is trying to raise $5,000 for the drone with small fundraisers.
Somerville, Mass.
Another suburb of Boston is using drones to examine snow-covered houses in winter to make sure the roofs don't collapse. Snow building up on a roof can be a safety hazard, and cities in the Northeast can make a pretty penny in fines from people who don't properly clean their homes.