65 Things To Do With A Drone

Both hobbyists and professionals are discovering new drone uses every day. As drone technologies become more advanced, innovators will continue to find new ways to get more work done with the help of drones. To understand what to do with a drone, you should have a look at some of the innovative possibilities that have already been discovered for utilizing the drones available in today's market.

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2. Record Professional Quality Movies

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4. Deliver Food

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5. Film Incredible Property Listings

Real estate agents have already been using drones to create breathtaking property listings. If you have seen a listing that offers a 3D tour, the chances are high that the footage was filmed with the help of a drone.

7. Optimize Farming

8. Create Detailed Aerial Maps

Satellite images have become widely available for free online. Unfortunately, regulations prevent satellite imagery from exceeding certain quality thresholds. Businesses that need detailed aerial maps are turning to drones to legally obtain high-quality imagery from the sky.

9. Deliver the Mail

Mail delivery is expensive because letters must be manually delivered to each mailbox daily. Drones will likely replace manual mail delivery once FAA restrictions have been lifted.

10. Help Soldiers on the Battlefield

Soldiers can use drones to scout hazardous terrain and to identify enemy outposts. Armies have recognized the use cases for drones since autonomous flying machines were first conceptualized. Drones will function as a key component of modern warfare for both scouting surrounding areas and delivering weapons.

Governments are also using drones to search sensitive sites for intruders and potential hazards. Drones are ideal for patrolling wide areas because they can be set to patrol waypoints with the help of GPS. As artificial intelligence technologies become more robust, drones will become one of the primary tools used to keep intruders out of sensitive government facilities.

14. Help Journalists and News Teams

Helicopters are often used to search wide areas when children go missing. Modern drone technology could start to replace helicopters for search and rescue operations. In addition to being less expensive, swarms of drones equip with thermal cameras can find missing persons faster than traditional helicopter crews.

Thermal imagery can be used by hunters to rapidly find animals in natural environments. With the help of artificial intelligence, it is possible for hunters to generate maps of available wildlife in their area. Locating animals with the help of aerial photography can take the fun out of hunting, but drones could be invaluable tools for people who hunt to survive.

19. Record Mountain Bike Adventures

Some of the latest drones have the ability to follow you automatically with the push of a button. Smart drones can avoid trees, buildings, hills, and other obstacles while following you at high speeds. Mountain bikers, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts are using drones to record their outdoor adventures with ease.

20. Deliver Essentials to Remote Areas

People die every year due to lack of medical care or malnourishment in remote areas. Shipping goods to remote areas is expensive, and there are few stores and medical providers in these areas. Governments, nonprofits, and hospitals can use drones to deliver vaccines, food, and other life-saving goods to people located in remote areas.

21. Create 3D Maps

Software tools have emerged that make it easy for amateurs and professionals alike to create detailed 3D maps with the help of a drone. You could, for example, create a 3D model of your house by recording several passes around your property. Detailed 3D maps create new possibilities for architects, game developers, and curious property owners.

22. Locate Lost Pets

You can use your drone to quickly survey a large neighborhood or wooded area for lost pets. 

23. Inspect City Property

Beaches and pools are often legally required to employ lifeguards to watch for swimmers who are in danger. Unfortunately, lifeguards do not always see people who are drowning before it is too late. With the help of artificial intelligence, drones could detect drowning swimmers long before humans could recognize a dangerous situation.

25. Replace Cell Towers

One of the unfortunate consequences of modern technology has been the introduction of ugly cell towers on every hilltop and tall building. Drones equiped with powerful solar cells could theoretically carry cellular equipment to replace conventional towers. Innovative companies, such as Facebook, have presented plans for using drones to put cellular equipment in the sky, but these concepts have not yet received regulatory approval.

26. Inspect Tall Buildings

Inspecting a tall building can cost tens of thousands of dollars while putting workmen in harm's way. Drones can capture detailed footage that can be remotely conveyed to specialized engineers who can conduct a building inspection over the Internet.

The commercial possibilities for drones can help to improve modern life in thousands of ways, but most drones are still sold to hobbyists looking to have fun. If you host live video streams, you can use your drone to open new possibilities. Drones can enable you to film from creative angles and to record live events from your laptop or smartphone.

28. Monitor Traffic Patterns

Cities are using drones to track traffic patterns with the goal of reducing congestion. By using drones to gather traffic data over extended periods of time, city planners can recognize areas that are most in need of widening or resurfacing.

29. Conduct Atmospheric Research

Sensitive atmospheric equipment can be lifted into the air with the help of modern drones. Federal agencies are using advanced drones to explore clouds and unusual weather patterns. Amateur weather enthusiasts can also use drones to explore the skies without becoming a licensed pilot.

Professional film crews in sports stadiums must rely on expensive equipment to film from ideal angles and to zoom in on the action. Drones, on the other hand, are an inexpensive alternative that can enable film crews to get close to the playing field without interfering with the game.

31. Monitor Wildfires

Wildfires expand and contract based on weather patterns and terrain conditions that are difficult to predict. Hundreds of firefighters often must be deployed near a wildfire to manually keep an eye on prevailing conditions. Drones powered by artificial intelligence could closely monitor wildfires with more accuracy and with stronger predictive abilities than conventional human teams could do on their own.

City and state governments must rely on satellite imagery and the honesty of homeowners to determine when to reassess the appraisal value of properties. With the detailed imagery that drones can provide, more accurate property tax assessments can be conducted without an on-site inspection.

33. Inspect Warehouse Inventory

Major retailers, such as Amazon and Walmart, are using drones to keep track of warehouse inventory at minimal cost. Drone cameras can scan QR codes to make sure that packages are on the proper shelf and in the right quantity. When products go missing, warehouse staff can responsively assess the reasons for the mistakes that were made to improve efficiency in the future.

34. Manage Retail Shelf Space

Monitoring shelf space with the help of drones is more difficult than in highly organized warehouses, but several startups are aiming to develop technologies that would enable drones to recognize products that need restocking and opportunities for optimizing product placement.

35. Drone Racing

Any drones can be used for competitive racing. There are specialized drones that are designed for high-speed action, but you can race your friends with ordinary drones purchased online or in retail stores.

People have been known to catch their spouses cheating with the help of drones. Courts have ruled that citizens have no expectation privacy in public, so using a drone to catch a cheating spouse in a parking lot or in a park is completely legal.

37. Following Tornadoes

Professional drones designed for speed have enough power to keep up with tornadoes. Scientists have used drones to follow and enter tornadoes to obtain advanced data and to alert endangered citizens.

If the cost of drone technology continues to come down, drones could eventually replace automobiles to carry people to their destination. Working prototypes of drones capable of carrying human passengers are already being marketed in countries that have relaxed drone regulations.

39. Transport Products Across Long Distances

Local delivery is the best use case for drones in the short term, but innovators are considering the possibility of using drones to deliver products across thousands of miles. Enhanced batteries and advanced solar cells may someday make autonomous long-distance drone delivery viable.

40. Deliver Concessions at Sports Games

Stadium owners are considering using drones to delivery concessions. Patrons could use a smartphone app to place orders, and then food and beverages could be delivered automatically.

41. Provide Live Tours

Drones could eliminate the necessity of traveling to visit your favorite destinations. A drone equip with a live video feed could be used to enable virtual tourists to dynamically explore museums, beaches, and historical sites from the comfort of home.

42. Search Disaster Areas

Disaster sites can present serious dangers to first responders. Firefighters and law enforcement agencies are already using drones to survey disaster sites without having to put their personnel in harm's way.

If you are an avid social media user, you probably see people posting selfies every day. You can stand out on social media by using a drone to record selfies from unique angles that would not be possible using an ordinary smartphone.

44. Conduct Underwater Expeditions

Although aerial drones are the most popular devices purchased by consumers, the underwater drone industry has been quietly growing. Underwater drones can be used to film amateur video footage, and scientists can use these devices to obtain accurate underwater data. Advanced drones are also being developed to explore the deepest parts of the oceans.

When a building is on fire, first responders have only a few minutes to save lives. Drones equip with advanced sensors can quickly scan a building for people and valuable objects to create rapid assessments that can get help to the most critical areas in a minimal amount of time.

As with all structures, cell towers need maintenance and equipment upgrades on a regular basis. Each time maintenance is necessary, telecom companies must hire qualified work teams to safely climb to the top. Drones equip with tools and robotic arms could maintain cell towers autonomously to reduce maintenance costs.

47. Airlift Drowning Sailors

You can use ordinary drones to film ski trips from the air. Drones capture incredible footage on ski slopes without helicopters or expensive professional film crews.

Law enforcement agencies are experimenting with using drones to scan areas with high crime for illicit activity. Artificial intelligence can help to alert first responders when crimes may be taking place, and then necessary personnel can be deployed to the scene in a minimal amount of time.

51. Investigate Asbestos Contaminated Buildings

Sure you could use a bio-hazard suit to inspect these dangerous places but it’s much more fun to use a drone with FPV. If the building is decrepit it’s probably safer to send a drone in anyway.

52. Explore Underground Caverns

Hazards and limited time have prevented many underground caverns from being explored thoroughly. Drones equip with sensors and powerful cameras can gather comprehensive data in underground caverns without the expense and risk associated with sending in human exploration teams.

53. Help Children Learn

Children need engaging exercises to stay focused on learning activities. Drones are ideal in the classroom because they can be applied in a broad range of educational use cases. Children can learn videography, surveying, data analysis, and other skills with the help of drones that are used strategically in a classroom.

54. Check Railroads for Hazards

Train collisions and derailments can lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in losses and the potential for human casualties. Drones can significantly reduce the chances of a train accident by checking railroad tracks for hazards, such as fallen trees and parked vehicles.

55. Deliver Medications

Medical conditions can arise at any hour of the day, but most pharmacies are not open at night. Although most cities have 24-hour medication delivery services, these providers often charge exorbitant fees. Drones can work at all hours of the day, so pharmacies and hospitals may start to deliver medications with autonomous drones once regulatory hurdles have been cleared.

56. Aid Blind People

People with poor eyesight often rely on trained animals to navigate their surroundings. Intelligent drones could be more effective than conventional solutions for helping blind people to cross roads and avoid hazards.

Minefields can present serious dangers both in the battlefield and for civilian populations during peacetime. Militaries are studying ways to apply existing drone technologies to confirm the presence of mines in specific areas so that response teams can be sent out to reduce fatalities.

58. Monitor Inmate Populations

Guard towers could become unnecessary if innovators succeed at developing effective ways of monitoring inmate populations with the help of modern drones. Inmates who escape a correctional facility could be found in minimal time with drones, and artificial intelligence could be used to detect yard fights and other crime from the sky.

Technologies for using drones to monitor populations could also be used outside of prisons to protect private property. Expensive CCTV cameras could become unnecessary in some outdoor areas if property owners deploy the right type of drone equipment to scan for trespassers and other criminals.

60. Teach Pilots to Fly

Obtaining a pilot's license is expensive because training programs must spend resources on expensive fuel and equipment depreciation when training pilots in a real cockpit. Flight schools are using drones to train pilots on special maneuvers without having to send them into the air using a real plane.

61. Search for Stolen Vehicles

Drones that film in 4K can scan thousands of license plates every minute. Law enforcement agencies are using drones to detect stolen vehicles hidden in backyards and other hard-to-reach places that officers on the ground are not normally able to access.

62. Managing Construction Sites

Construction managers usually waste most of their day walking around job sites to check on work teams. Instead of confirming progress with long walks or drives between job sites, construction managers can use drones to confirm that employees are working hard and avoiding mistakes. Investors and property managers located around the world can also use drones to monitor progress on construction sites at minimal cost.

63. Inspecting Bridges

Bridge collapses are a common occurrence because thorough bridge inspections are expensive. Drones can be used to explore the area under a bridge to find cracks, rust, and other evidence of structural damage. Since inspections conducted with a drone are less expensive than conventional inspections, governments will be able to afford to have bridges checked more frequently to prevent disasters.

You can use drones to explore your community from your living room. Many drones can travel for a range of several miles, and you can fly high into the air to get a detailed overhead view. Exploring your local area with a drone can be fun and educational.

65. Have Fun With Friends

First-person view drones can be controlled like you are playing a video game. Learning to fly a drone is easy, safe, and inexpensive. Millions of hobbyists have purchased drones to have fun both on their own and with like-minded friends.

More Uses for Drones

Innovators have already discovered thousands of uses for drones, and there are even more possibilities available that have not yet been explored. Experienced professionals in specialized fields are finding ways to bring drones into production facilities, retail locations, and tourist attractions to improve efficiency in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago. Learning what to do with a drone, therefore, opens new opportunities in your career and for your business. You can discover new possibilities in your field by getting your own drone and exploring new possibilities for innovation.