Drones are becoming one of the essential tools that are used in modern industries. From inspecting power lines, managing crop health, planning mining projects, and even selling real estate, drones can be more useful than you think. But aside from all of those things, there are more unusual uses of drones. Though they are not that mainstream yet, it would not be that surprising if more and more people will adopt them in the near future. That is why in this article, we are going to list down some of the most unusual ways that people are using drones today.
- Aerial light shows – For the past few years, drones seem to be taking over the role of fireworks when it comes to producing great aerial light shows. Drones can be programmed to show more intricate designs and patterns. Aside from that, drones can also be used several times. Not unlike fireworks which are disposable and cannot be programmed to show the patterns that you want. The first aerial light show that used drones happened in Austria in 2012, then events such as the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, the 2017 and 2019 halftime shows of the Superbowl, as well as the South Asian Games in 2019, all used drones to light up the sky and present stunning aerial light shows.
- Window cleaning – Drones are not just for entertainment and documentary purposes; they can also be used for cleaning windows. Since buildings were made, the way window was cleaned was both risky and slow. It would probably take several teams of window cleaners weeks to finish cleaning a single building’s windows. Not only that, but these workers are also exposed to the dangers of working at heights. Today, several companies decided to step up and let drones do the job. A company named Aerones Drones built extremely powerful drones that have ten rotors that can carry 200 kilograms of payload and can eject water using a spray nozzle. Not only that, but it is also equipped with a large sponge that allows the operator to scrub any dirt residue.
- Amazon delivery – Amazon is trying to introduce a service called Amazon Prime Air, which will allow them to deliver packages that is no more than 5 pounds using drones. This delivery concept was introduced back in 2013 by Jeff Bezos but has yet to materialize.
- They are serving sushi – A restaurant in London named Yo! Sushi was the first-ever restaurant to use the drone unusually. They serve their food in a four-rotor drone they call “iTray.” It has a flat top where the food can be placed, and it is controlled by a waiter who is standing nearby via an iPad. The drone also has two cameras that help the waiter to navigate the drone to the desired location.
- Aerial construction – Today, drones are used to help monitor and plan construction projects. However, other innovators such as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology thought they could be used for more. That is why they started the Aerial Construction Project, which aims to develop the use of drones when it comes to mechanical construction, such as laying building foundations. Even if there’s still a long way until this kind of project can be used, it could be the first step towards revolutionizing the construction industry.
- Ambulance – In an emergency health response, every second count. Most of us know that the first few minutes in the patient’s treatment play a significant role in determining how well they will recover and how likely they are to survive. Most of the bystanders around the scene do not know how to respond in an emergency situation. Hence, they are wasting time before a responder can take over the situation. That is why researchers from Delft University in the Netherlands thought of the ambulance drone. It will be the first thing to arrive and respond at the scene of the emergency. The drone will have a two-way video communication that can help the medical team coach the people on the scene and apply first aid to the victim.