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Drone refers to unpiloted aircraft or spacecraft. They are unmanned aerial vehicles.
Initially used in areas where it was not safe or too risky for a human, drones were primarily deployed for military purposes. Yet, their far-reaching success, coupled with safety and efficiency metrics, has considerable use in delivering goods. In today’s world, the application of drones is limitless.
Significant innovations in camera technology have accelerated drone refinements. Today, drones play a critical role in emergency response management. Drones fitted with thermal cameras provide emergency response teams unparalleled visibility to identify victims otherwise challenging to spot with naked eyes.
With the emergence of various technologies like 5G connectivity, visual recognition, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning, drones become a part of the greater analytical toolset. Below are some of the more prominent drone applications.
1. Drones and natural disasters - Drones have proved to be very useful during natural disasters. In the aftermath of disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, forest fires, drones are being used to assist in search and rescue efforts, undertake damage assessment from the catastrophe, locate the victims, and deliver aid quickly. Since drones are controlled remotely and flown from varying heights and distances, they are perfect for taking on some toughest jobs in the world without human sacrifice.
2. Assessing government and administration machinery - After a large-scale natural disaster, drones play a crucial role in helping the administration access critical infrastructure destruction, plan their recovery strategies, and provide real footage of the damage. Drone operations offer a far safer and cost-effective alternative to manned aircraft.
3. Healthcare logistics - According to research, billions of people across the globe do not have reliable access to healthcare, and a big reason for that is logistics. Around 5.2 million kids die every year because of the inability to supply essential medical products to authorities. Drones can help change that.
4. Medical emergencies - Drones are indispensable in medical emergencies, helping deliver donated organs to transplant patients. Further, they deliver blood for critical transfusions to Africa’s remotest areas. Blood spoils quickly, and it is common not to have the right blood type in blood banks. However, drone delivery helps solve this problem.
5. First response in an emergency - Drones reduce the time taken to respond to multiple humanitarian crises and supplying lifesaving immunization products. Police, Fire, and Emergency units in most countries are deploying drones, enabling them to reduce costs, cut response times, and sharpen their recovery efforts.
Emergency services across nations could benefit from using drones in their rescue operations. Not only does it make work easier, quicker, and safer for the first responders - it also helps bring a smile to the people they rescue through agile responses.
