Agriculture – Both for monitoring crops in ways never possible before and for the application of pesticides and fertiliser on crops, pasture or forestry. See Helisika for more info.
Aerial mapping – An improvement to Google maps satellite view is perhaps coming up sooner than you think. Drone aerial mapping can also be used in forestry, natural resource management and planning disaster relief. See Helisika for more info.
Inspect gas/ oil pipelines and oil rigs – As oil rig companies are fined for any kind of oil leaks into the sea, unmanned aerial vehicles could be used to monitor these using infrared cameras. See Helisika for more info.
Inspect roads and bridges – Someone has to inspect the 1000’s km of highways present in NZ. Armed with high definition cameras and live video feeds, drones are going to replace manual inspectors in a matter of years whilst keeping them safe (and probably without a job). See Helisika for more info.
Roof Inspections – You can’t make inspections any safer following storm damage than by using a flying multicopter to take all the pictures for you. See Helisika for more info.
3D Mapping – 3D mapping created using aerial photos from drones and put through software that turns it into 3D. See Helisika for more info.
Fire’s – Drones equipped with infra red cameras like the Red Edge can be used to form a live map of where the hotspots are and use it to efficiently deploy resources. They may also be used for detecting fires in the early stages when they could be more easily extinguished.
Law enforcement – Thermal cameras can be added to drones that would help in hostage situations, riots or to search for suspects. Drones may also be used in car chases to monitor the situation from above, instead of scrambling a helicopter or in crash scene investigations.
Take holiday photos – What could be more memorable and middle class than showcasing your holiday photos with a twist; all FPV (first person view) and from above, take by your own little drone.
Advertising – Ever seen those airplanes dragging around a long banner at high altitude? You will certainly save money and time by advertising on a drone flown banner instead.
Security – The average 111 response time is about 10 minutes. What if the police could get a drone to your house in 1-2 minutes instead. This could reassure you or capture the suspect on camera before he/ she escapes.
Real estate agents – Various companies have already popped up across NZ offering aerial photography to real estate agents, again, replacing the need for an expensive helicopter.
Disaster relief – Imagine using drones to deliver clean water and food to a earthquake or tsunami affected areas.
Search & Rescue – There is also serious potential here. Drones have already proved themselves useful in search and rescue operations. Even with lower flight times, they are bound to be cost effective over using a helicopter. Drones equipped with HD cameras could locate people after a Tsunami, Earthquake or after a flood. Drop in essential first aid equipment. Bandages, water, drugs etc.
Film live events – Drone filming has already made an appearance at the Sochi Winter Games. Cheaper and safer to film marathons and races from the air compared to a helicopter, and more versatile than a boom truck. There’s also going to be less damage if a drone comes down crashing compared to a full sized helicopter.
