The Future of Transport with Commercial Drones
Flying cars were predicted to takeover skies by 2018, but it didn’t become a reality yet; however, the world is close to achieving it. Prototype drones are being developed by automaker Audi, the aviation giant Airbus, and Ital design. The drone taxi consists of wheels, a capsule that can accommodate two people, and four rotor motor powered drone. The drone made its first public appearance at the Amsterdam Drone Week convention.
The air taxi flew by itself and landed on the marked parking spot by flying across the hall. The taxi is made of two separate mechanisms that work together; the small self-driving car aligns itself under the drone to get docked and lifted. The initial tests went smooth, but it requires a lot of optimization before it can be available for commercial use.
Uber Elevate presented its version of air taxi which is expected to function from 2023. Air taxi reduces the need for the individual to walk distance to hitch rides; the drone follows mapped routes that are auto-piloted. The flying taxi module is also open for private use where the users can fly their drones technology manually.
Flight instructors are tutoring this program, and they find it easy to train compared to airplanes. Some drones are simpler to control; the passenger has to enter the destination details and hit the ignition button to start the trip.
Flying future is not only for humans, but cargo are also expected to ship via drones where the unit will be able to carry products and goods for long distances reducing the waiting time. Elroy Air is developing a cargo drone that can carry over 500 pounds and fly for about 300 miles in distance.
The cargo drone by Elroy is expected to roll out by 2020. Drones follow vertical take-off and landing method like choppers which intends to draw power from a battery. To make these drone-based logistics and travel a reality, the vehicle has to be heavily tested and meet the safety guidelines.
Miniature drones are used to help paramedics in small scale, and bigger versions will soon be able to move people. The designers must, however, make it more accessible and safer for the community.
Source Link : Auto Tech Outlook
Drones Help Avoid Risks on the Ground
Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, have seen increased use partly due to improvements in drone-adaptable sensory technology. These improvements allow companies like ours to offer clients an increasing number and broader range of solutions via an in-house drone fleet.
When equipped with LiDAR technology, drones can collect the data needed to produce 3D maps of properties quickly, easily, and accurately as LiDAR enables the production of “bare earth” images showing ground elevations without vegetation cover. Drones can help us obtain data used in the identification of gas leaks in pipelines and valves, and also in the mapping of heat loss from buildings.
But one of the surprising benefits we’ve found in our engineering firm’s three-year history of drone use is improved safety. Simply put, drones help keep workers out of unsafe situations.
Why Safety Matters to the Bottom Line
One of the many reasons why safety matters is that employers need to protect their Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), the resultant measurable that stems from an OSHA requirement to report workplace injuries. An unfavorable TRIR can result in difficult OSHA inspections, with the possibility of sanctions, fines, and orders to redesign workplaces and procedures. Potential customers often check the workplace injury record of supplier companies they’re considering, avoiding those with a poor TRIR.
