In this video I'm going to give my answer to the question "What Are Drones Used For"

and list 31 uses for flying drones and UAV.

Drones or UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are being employed in ever increasing areas of

life. Apart from the fact that they are small, light, and maneuverable drones have many other

uses. If the task is dull, dirty, or dangerous then it makes far more sense to send in a

drone.

It seems barely a week goes by without new uses for drones being imagined and realised.

So here is my list. If you can think of any I've missed then please add a comment under

this video.

1. Aerial Photography

If there’s one thing most people consider when they think of uses for drones it is aerial

photography. It’s a huge field with lots of spin-offs and niche areas. It’s the basis

of the whole civil UAV industry and the entry point for most, if not all, drone pilots.

Drone aerial photography and filming is an industry and a service in itself.

2. Film and TV Footage

Film and TV companies were very quick to take advantage of the burgeoning drone technology.

They tend to have larger budgets for new equipment and the latest gadgets. The footage and shots

achievable from hexacopters and octocopters carrying broadcast grade cameras have proved

they justify the investment.

Perhaps you can remember that most aerial shots on TV dramas and documentaries were

either created using a camera boom or captured from the helicopter. Now, drone footage is

commonplace and while booms and helicopters still have their uses the new aerial footage

has added much to these programs.

3. Aerial Mapping

There was a time when Google Earth and Google Maps was the state of the art but there is

so much more to do with mapping the planet’s surface. Drones designed and equipped for

mapping and programmed to fly in grid patterns are slowly building up a very detailed picture

of our home planet.

4. Archaeological Digs & Research

It's long been known that aerial photos can reveal clues about the history hidden in the

landscape. Some sites are only fully appreciated from the air. You only have to think of the

Nazca plains in Peru. One of the many uses for drones is in the field of archaeological

research.

Time, weather, and budget can prohibit the use of manned aircraft at a site but a quick

scan of the area from 300 feet using a small drone can be like switching on a light. Suddenly

all is revealed and made clear.

5. Filming Marine Wildlife

No doubt you’ve seen in the press or on social media those spectacular shots of pods

of whales or a mother and calf, shot from a few hundred feet. It has given us a view

that was denied to most of us a few years ago.

Apart from the spectacle there are all kinds of research advantages enabled by the use

of drones at sea. Drones can be launched from the shore but the real benefits are out on

the open ocean.

However, drone pilots at sea need to have particularly good handling and navigation

skills. There are few options for emergency landings and even if you’ve flown the UAV

back to base you may have to land it on a moving vessel. Some have learned the hard

way that this is not easy and watched as their precious drone lands not safely on deck but

in the water.

6. Filming Land Wildlife

The earth’s wildlife provides an endless source of joy and wonder. In order to observe

it at close quarters without causing any disturbance film and TV companies have devised all kinds

of cams; rock cam, dung cam, log cam etc. They all work well up to a point but there

is no substitute for aerial shots and the bird’s eye view.

Sometimes sufficient aerial footage is achieved by flying just a few feet off the ground.

Not all herds need to be filmed top-down from the overhead. You can mix such clips up with

drone footage captured around the subject at a height only just above it.

7. Anti Poaching

The only disappointing aspect to wildlife documentaries is that they frequently include

references to the damage done by humans to wildlife habitat. For the larger mammals of

Africa and other continents there is also the ugly reality of poaching.

Drones are now being used in the fight against poachers - and it is a fight for these men

are armed and dangerous. A drone that can pick up tracks or even follow suspects is

the ideal tool for the job. It’s quieter and cheaper than a helicopter and being unmanned

there is no risk of anyone being shot by poachers alerted to its presence.

8. Environmental and Meteorological Monitoring

High and medium altitude drones that fly autonomously for days on end are circling the earth and

gathering data on the weather and the environment.

9. Police Work

The Police Service has made good use of drone technology. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints

the amount of use varies from county to county in the UK. A DJI Phantom or Inspire in the

back of a patrol car can be quickly sent up to film or photograph the scene of a car accident.

The savings in time spent on site by the officers could be significant, not to mention the delays

and frustrations caused to motorists while the road or lane is closed.

10. Search and Rescue

The ability of drones see from viewpoints denied to crew on foot makes them ideal allies

during search and rescue missions. When people are lost, injured, or in distress it is not

always possible to send in a SAR helicopter. The location and the weather may rule out

any manned aerial vehicle. Rescuers arriving on the scene can use unmanned aviation to

asses the situation and to direct rescuers on foot.

11. Property Photography

This is one of the aerial photography niche areas mentioned in the opening paragraph of

this post. Estate agents have been quick to take up drone filming in order to help promote

and sell property. The ability to display particularly large properties with acres of

garden or pasture has tempted buyers to make the journey and to close sales.

12. Domestic Roof Inspections

Storm damage, debris, blocked gutters, leaks in the upstairs rooms - all these are a source

of worry to householders and landlords. Ladders are risky and scaffolding costs can rapidly

escalate.

Far better to send up a drone to inspect the roof. The video footage can be kept for review

or forwarded on to other contractors. With one clever device you’ve eliminated the

risk of ladders and avoided the costs of scaffolding.

You’ve also prevented yourself from being defrauded by a roofing contractor quoting

for unnecessary work.

13. Industrial Roof Inspections

If you can do it for homes you can also do it for factories and industrial units. It’s

only a matter of scale. With large industrial complexes there are huge benefits in terms

of cost savings and the lessening of risk to humans through physical inspection of hard

to reach areas.

14. Planning Inspections

Local government inspectors are always keen to find new ways to improve efficiency and

making their funds go further. Well, that’s the theory at least. Drones can be used to

check that new buildings, extensions, and other work is in compliance with local planning

laws.

15. Solar Park Inspections

There has been a boom in the building of solar parks in the UK countryside in the past few

years. They have appeared in all kinds of places, on farmland and abandoned airfields.

They cover large areas with thousands of panels. To inspect them all on foot for damaged or

inoperative PV cells is a labour intensive task so one of the uses for drones is to scan

them row by row. With the correct type of camera it is possible to identify any malfunctioning

cell.

16. Environmental Compliance Inspections

How can you tell if the farm, factory, or industrial area is compliant with local environmental

laws and rulings? Inspections on foot are one option but the bird's eye view of a UAV

will capture the conclusive evidence and exonerate those who might be under suspicion on non-compliance.

17. Drone Deliveries

Most people have heard of this one. Amazon are now conducting tests at a secret location

in the UK. However, I think we’re still a long way from the really important stuff

like delivery of beer and pizza.

18. Disaster Relief

In areas devastated by wars and natural disasters it becomes essential to know what roads are

open and what bridges are intact. Disaster relief agencies and military personnel can

use drones to quickly gather information while the expensive and less numerous helicopters

and land vehicles load up with supplies.

Time is short and the sooner they have created an accurate map of the situation the more

quickly and efficiently they can deliver supplies to where they are most needed.

19. Emergency Medical Supplies

In poorer countries where roads are dust in the summer and impassable mud in the rainy

season people die for want of basic medicines. Drones can be used to deliver small payloads

of medicines to remote villages.

20. News Filming

The news helicopters will continue to fly for years to come but there are many instances

where a drone is the better tool for the job. Consider outside broadcast units at an event

or situation that would benefit from an aerial shot but where the presence of a helicopter

would be disruptive or dangerous.

21. Sports Filming

With the arrival on the market of drones that follow an individual it’s now possible to

obtain footage of, for example, skiers, cyclists, skateboarders, surfers and all kinds of sports

in ways that were impossible before developments in UAS technology.

22. Pipeline and Power Line Inspection

UAV can be designed and modified to carry out any task that is dull, dirty, or dangerous.

Pipeline and power line inspection fall into at least one of those categories. It’s a

lot more cost effective to conduct a preliminary inspection remotely before sending out the

crew by helicopter or by land transport.

23. Tunnel Inspection

Did you see the footage of the Crossrail tunnels on the news just after they had completed

the main sections underneath London? They sent a drone through them to show what they

had achieved. The tunnels are very large so flying a drone within them is not difficult

but UAV could also be used to inspect smaller tunnels.

24. Precision Agriculture With Fixed Wing UAV

Agriculture is one of the biggest growth areas for fixed wing drones. Farmers have found

all kinds of uses for them and have been quick to employ these robotic friends to help improve

yields and for more effective pest and disease control.

UAV can pinpoint breakouts of pests and disease within a specific area. The treatment can

then be applied directly on to that area alone instead of the entire field. This enables

a huge saving on the cost of treatment as there is far less wasted spraying. It’s

a sort of agricultural surgical strike.

25. Advertising And Promotional Videos

There are countless ways in which drone video services can be used to help satisfy the never

ending demand for more advertising and promotional videos. Whether you’re filming an ad for

a new car or creating a music video drones are part of your marketing toolbox.

26. Weddings, Parties, Events

Wedding photographers were among the first to capitalise on the potential offered by

the new aerial cameras. They offer an edge that can win new business in a competitive

market. Anyyone planning a wedding wants to be certain that the event is filmed and photographed

in as much detail as possible so that they can relive the experience and pass on the

memories.

27. Drone Racing And VR

This is an area that is generating a lot interest. Obviously it appeals more to the younger adults

and teenagers but like all games of this type anyone of any age can play. Combining drone

racing with VR makes it accessible to all, regardless of age or ability.

28. Making Art With Drones

Artists are often quick to spot the potential of new technology as a tool that will enable

new ways of expression. A swarm (flock?) of drones each with one light or several, flying

in formation or moving like a murmuration of starlings can produce dramatic and eerie

effects.

29. Aircraft Inspection

So you’ve got an Airbus A380 in a corner of the airport and you need to inspect it

from nose to tail. What better way than to fly an aerial camera along its length.

30. Internet Access

There are many who yearn to join our connected world and to add their devices to the internet

of things. High flying UAV can extend the internet to remote areas where the land based

infrastructure is basic and incomplete.

31. Military Drones

Lastly, there is warfare. It’s a controversial topic that generates heated debate but whatever

the legal and moral implications there are distinct benefits from using armed and unarmed

UAV on the battlefield. There are micro drones that can fly round a corner, over a wall,

and into a building. There are fixed wing and rotary drones that can be quickly launched

on the battlefield to provide intelligence on enemy movements and positions.

Then there are the more well known armed drone that can launch missiles at targets so remotely

that the unfortunate victims are probably unaware of their impending doom.

Thanks for watching! I hope you found this interesting and useful. Please give the video

a thumbs up, share it, and add a comment below.  Did I miss any uses for drones?