#2 BOMBAY
POST
APOCALYPSE The DRONE takeover
Vehicular traffic in Mumbai has shot up by 50 per cent over five years. Meanwhile, 33.35 lakh vehicles used Bombay’s roads in 2018. The road length stayed close to around 2,000 km. The Indian Express, March 26, 2020
After the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Bombay started rethinking the use of its public space and infrastructure. Delivery vehicles and personnel, non-essential travel, door-to-door services and miscellaneous food and parcel deliveries were speculated to use up almost 50% of the city’s existing mobility infrastructure.
The Pandemic created needs to be met by a non-human, non-carrier, precisely targeted, highly developed mobility system to service the Megapolis’ needs.
With recorded precision and efficiency in deliveries of critical medication to isolation wards and into homes of quarantined societies, Drones suddenly emerged as a viable option to service the city’s needs. The sight of the little flying bots quickly gained favour amongst the city’s most marginalised.
With the amendment in Civil Aviation legislation, almost overnight Drone companies and DIY hubs starting sprouting up, to service the City in surprising ways.
With the proliferation of Urban Maker spaces and home DIY kits, Drones now became the base technology for a wide range of startups. Using existing onboard technology, the city saw a huge surge in Drone-based applications.
Local Security startup specialising in personal surveillance.
Post pandemic festival Drones for use with accompanying headsets
Thermal imaging based nocturnal Drones to disinfect Urinated walls
Coastal patrol Drones for regular beach cleanups and targeted collection
Rental Drone service for individual building cleanups and stain removal
Doorstep Drone Dabba services for work meal deliveries
Drone technology was highly adapted to reach inaccessible places, and create activist messaging with highly topical artworks. Drones served as a vital tool in monitoring and activating city action groups to inform on-ground activity.
Off-shore Activist Drone installation
Realtime Drone-based city maps of urban vegetation on a daily dashboard
Artist communities used Drones to create new genres in performance and digital concerts, using the precision and accurate flight-path programming functions. Drone academies started base training for augmented performance artists, create geographically dispersed and visually stunning contemporary art.
Digital projection on Drone based smoke-screen for generated concert.
Drone programmed Dervish installation for interactive dance performance
Traditional Crafts communities and makers also adopted the new technology to support and augment existing processes. Drones allowed for the continuance of these formats in the post-pandemic limited contact scenarios.
Traditional Looms augmented with Drone support
Drone Kathputli performance as non-contact performance format
Support drones for ironing and stretching printed fabrics
Village post office Drone local delivery for last mile coverage.
Kite string manufacturing and co-ordination Drones.
End of year augmented celebrations