Most people are aware that a global drone Cold War is occurring around them. With a public and private frenzy to develop more drones, their capability is spilling into other sectors.
DroneLife reports domestic drone sales are projected to top $90 billion over the next decade, while MarketWatch appraised the 2014 UAV market at $1.33 billion.
Along with military spending, an increase in the use of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber — and methods like 3D printing — have fueled the race, according to MedGadget.
Outside of enemy recon, what can drones do for us?
Treehugger reports that Switzerland alone received 1,000 annual calls from injured or lost hikers. The University of Zurich responded with an Artificial Intelligence driven quadcopter to follow forest trails and scan for missing people.
A similiar machine is “Qube,” an Unmanned Aircraft System, or “UAS,” developed by Aerovironment. Inspired by military technology, the system uses infrared thermal imaging for 40-minute search and rescue missions. “Qube” is both tough and light, meaning it is carried along with other equipment, Popular Mechanics reports.
Attention has gone into autonomous drones that scan landscapes. Business Insider reports the “Snow Cyclops” scans mountain ranges for weak areas of snow to warn workers of impending avalanches. The “Hummingbird” and “Beetle” Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or “UAVs,” are designed for farmers and ranchers to survey large patches of land.
Automatic External Defibrillators could soon be replaced by an Ambulance Drone, according to MedGadget. The eight-rotor “Defikopter,” developed by TU Delft University in Holland, delivers a shock to the heart of cardiac arrest victims.
Watch “Defikopter” in action below.
Other drones have been created to fly ahead of cyclists and warn them of oncoming traffic, according to Popular Mechanics. This mirrors attempts by DARPA to create an IED sniffer drone to fly ahead of convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After spending as much as $19 billion on IED drone development, many in the Pentagon later reported to Wired that prototypes did not out-perform the nose of a dog. This is not the only struggle the American military faces with drones.
The Washington Times reports America’s unmatched military superiority could be challenged in UAV spending. They predict worldwide spending to be $28.7 billion over the next 10 years, yet report America’s spending is narrowing in comparison.
While a lot gets spent on UAVs, they are far from the only devices being tested. Drones that crawl, jump and swim are also being heavily funded.
Boston Dynamics, a robot developer acquired by Google in 2014, has paved the way for unconventional drones, according to The Verge. The 160-pound “Spot” is designed for snow and uneven conditions. The drone can carry equipment or even injured people.
Watch the prototypes that led up to “Spot” below.
What is the single most useful rescue drone? Let us know in the comment section.
http://www.designntrend.com/articles/70237/20160214/drone-rescue-military-avalanche-spot.htm