I feel drones, yet another double edged tool, deserve a thread of their own.
News today of the first recorded potential life saving use of drones - by dropping inflatable aids to surfers within a couple of minutes of their situation being known. The only online news on this, so far, is behind a pay barrier.
Drones are already being used for search and rescue in other situations. As they get bigger they can carry more survival/rescue kit. Oh, yeah, and parcels and pizzas if they ever get passed for use over inhabitted areas.
Way back in 2010 Tank mentioned drones being used on the US/Mexican border, and wondered if they would be used all over the country. Probably will, question is for what purposes? Chances are El Trumpo will be ordering lots more.
The first Uk prison fitted with an antidrone "electronic shield" has been announced. This interferes with the signal and sends the drone back to its origin - seems there are potential safety and legal (third party) problems with just crashing it. Next stage will be counter drones that can be sent up to follow the baddie home! Handheld antidrone units are also developing rapidly.
Interesting use at the beach.
Drones are gaining in usefulness such as rapid inspection of agricultural areas. The drones have all sorts of instrumentation that can detect and record the exact location of fungus, insect attacks, growth patterns, and much more. A drone can inspect vast areas within two hours that might require days of inspection by someone walking through the crop. There are entrepreneurs that have these things. They inspect crops for a fee that would be less than paying an individual to do the inspection, a a whole lot faster.. The drones are pricey as in 20,30,40 thousand each.
Another recue plus for a drone:
QuoteThermal-imaging drone helps police make miraculous recovery of man in ditch
Feb 26, 2018
Lincolnshire driver saved from hypothermia by quick-thinking emergency services
http://www.theweek.co.uk/91911/thermal-imaging-drone-helps-police-make-miraculous-recovery-of-man-in-ditch
Looks like search and rescue, especially in effective risk free "just in case" search situations, is entering a new age. Add looking for hot spots in building fires etc . . .
These drones have potential!
(https://scontent.fpoa13-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/28472092_1978781425772039_8490771346560980811_n.jpg?oh=04fff88f4d5b14c270fc0a0fe18cb4c6&oe=5B117FDB)
Those of you who watched the opening ceremonies of the recent winter Olympics will have seen the spectacular display of lights in the sky. First there was the outline of a snow boarder sliding through the ether. Then the lights created the image of the Olympic circles.
The narrator said that the lights and patterns were created by 900 drones. If that is true then the software that caused the drones (???) to do what they were said to do was a spectacular piece of work.
Does anyone have information to confirm or deny that drones were the method used for that light demonstration?