Recently drones have become pivotal, especially when it comes to the industrial Internet of things. Not just in industrial applications, drones are extensively used in almost all our activities today. The military has been at the forefront with the implementation of drones for security purposes. Similarly, E-commerce giant Amazon is as well working on a drone dropping packages off at your doorstep.
Based on Harvard business review, approximately 60% of drone usage is in the film and media industry with new applications in line due to their precision, convenience, as well as cost-effectiveness, compared to helicopters. The drone has a host of industrial applications today, and here are some of them.
- Agriculture
Japan has always been leading when it comes to drone applications in agriculture. With its Yamaha RMAX uncrewed vehicle (UAV), Japan has been able to seed as well as spray its expansive rice fields. With some of these rice fields located in high altitude areas, which sometimes can be challenging to reach, Yamaha RMAX finds these fields with ease for maintenance. Apart from seeding and spraying, other drone applications in agriculture include; remote moisture sensing that identifies the patched parts of your area for improvement. Also, drones used in precision agriculture for detecting weeds in the field are significantly increasing. Frost mitigation, as well as variable-rate fertilization dispersal, are also some of the drone applications in agriculture.
- Civil Engineering
Nearly every process, from planning to final construction in civil engineering, benefits immensely from an aerial craft view. Previously, the use of airplanes and helicopters in civil engineering for aerial mapping as well as the creation of promotional paraphernalia and videos for marketing purposes.
With the introduction of UAV and all its cost benefits, the entire civil engineering projects are benefitting from their use. For instance, drones significantly cut time, and expenses traditionally would have been used in infrastructure, roadways inspection, and shoreline erosion monitoring. You don’t have to own a drone; instead of industrial drone rental services are available and cheaper than acquiring one just for one-time inspection purposes.
- Utilities and Energy
The process of making the electrical grid smart involves getting real-time status on the power generation as well as infrastructure conditions. Damages on power lines by storms, wear and tear as well as inspection of transmission lines immensely benefit from crewless aerial view vehicles. Though there are restrictions from the Federal Aviation Administration, Utility companies are demonstrating further the value of drones in this sector. With the adoption of drones in the energy sector, most of the inspection work will significantly reduce, and the multiplier effect of managing a more extensive power line will get achieved.
- Mining
Real-time data on the safety of mines can get easily captured using a drone, averting a possible risk or accident that could have occurred. With drones, it will be possible to give up to date surface surveys for optimized blast designs. Also, rapid pre and post-blast data, as well as identification of fires and wall damage, can be done with drone assistance.
Stockpiles and grading control, not forgetting site exploration is efficiently done with a drone. Designing of haul roads, pits, and dumps which have a minimal environmental impact get done with the help of a drone.
- Oil and gas industry
Detection of gas leaks, spotting oil leaks, or even scouting for whales have enjoyed immense applications of the drone in the gas and oil industry. Before commencing offshore drilling, oil companies use drones to scout the presence of whale’s migration. This scouting helps in impact assessment as well as planning on when to continue with the operations. Midstream oil and gas sectors have predominantly employed the use of drones. Still, they are increasingly applying the same in land surveying and mapping, pipeline, and well inspection and for security purposes. You can acquire these services through third party industrial drone rental that offers security and land surveying services using drones.