The awesome everyday uses of
drone technology From the Olympics to the Post Office, drones are becoming a desirable and essential commodity WORDS BY KERRY SMITH
A
n incredible 1,824 drones came together at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games in July, forming a giant revolving globe with impressive precision flying. It was the most moving highlight for me and it got me thinking: what are drones even used for these days? It seemed every big kid wanted a drone at one point, while everyone else complained about them hovering over their gardens. You can buy a drone on the high street, but you should be concerned that you won’t be covered by insurance, says Paul Bromfield who runs ABP Drones. “People associate drones with an invasion of privacy or blocking Gatwick Airport. If an accident is caused, the comeback is always on the customer,” Paul warned me. He owns drones that weigh up to 10kg and others that weigh just 249 grams that are as small as the size of your hand. He tells me he’s CAA qualified, which gives him official authorisation to fly the unmanned aircraft for commercial work, filming, and photography.
Drones and their possibilities
They can be used to carry out inspections that are accurate within millimetres when surveying buildings and zooming in to examine just one tiny bolt. Describing his business
as ‘Your eye in the sky for a new perspective’, Paul also undertakes agricultural work using drones to spot weeds or survey crops, telling tractors where to spray fertiliser or pest and weed control chemicals. Drones can even fertilise crops themselves. The drones can detect panels that aren’t working on solar panel farms or discover where energy loss is coming from in seconds with thermal imaging. For refurbishments or works on historical buildings, 3D imaging is useful. Paul uses drones to measure window sizes, find faults in structures, and much more. They’re also used for search and rescue by emergency services and they’ll often send a drone up before a helicopter to find missing persons. Paul says he uses the same drones as the police and fire service.
DRONES ARE REALLY INFORMATIVE AND MANY PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE ALL ABOUT
Why drones are used
They’re used by the Post Office, Amazon, and even the NHS to gather medical samples. “Drones are really informative and many people don’t understand what they’re all about,” Paul said. “They save time and money, reduce health and safety risks, can calculate wastage, and deliver a quick turnaround and real-time results.” The aesthetic that drones can achieve is also trending. “It’s fashionable to have a fly-through now.” Paul completes lots of commercial work for companies wanting to showcase their premises in a modern way. Tokyo Games-style drone displays may not be a possibility for the average individual, but companies like ABP Drones can help us achieve most of their opportunities. Find more on drone capabilities at abpdronesolutions.com.
