A video released by CNBC International predicted the drone industry’s growth in 2020. Goldman Sachs’ statistics suggest that military drones will account for 70% of the drone industry. The rest of the $100bn will be made up of consumer drones (17%) and commercial and civil drones (13%) estimate. The video provides details of the possible future drones, many of which are already in development. Data transmission using drones can also be utilized during large-scale events such as sports matches or concerts when the coverage is inadequate for everyone in a stadium. In addition, drones can utilize radio signals to collect measurements of specific activities (e.g., gas consumption) when it is not otherwise possible to connect smart meters to the internet.
The advent of the drone age
A pilotless air taxi has been developed in Frankfurt in collaboration with Volocopter. Meanwhile, Amazon has a rival in Alphabet, both of whom are developing drones that will facilitate pilotless deliveries.
Amazon’s other drone and logistics patents have been the stuff of imagination: airborne drone warehouses 45,000 feet in the air, underwater drone warehouses, and drone recharging stations attached to telephone poles, buildings, and lampposts. Although Amazon’s Whole Foods acquisition is likely its highest-profile move for distribution footprint expansion, Amazon’s many logistics patents demonstrate the company’s emphasis on fulfillment and delivery. However, Gartner’s predictions around drone delivery are pessimistic, estimating delivery to comprise only 1% of all commercial operations by 2020.
CNBC’s David Reid says of drones: “Their growth looks set to soar. Benefits should include an increase in productivity and safety and even new jobs to boost the economy, but how they fly, where they fly and what they’re being used for are all problems to be solved.”
There is just one such solution, existing UAV traffic management systems that help avoid crashes in the ever-crowding skies.
