Over the past few years, commercial drone applications in various fields have rapidly increased. These commercial aerial vehicles are also showing great potential in fostering sustainability. AutonoSky, a South African drone company, recently developed a multi-purpose heavy-lift drone for several applications which promote sustainability. These applications range from carbon footprint reduction, logistics, last-mile delivery, precision agriculture and much more. In this blog post, we will explore how drone technology fosters sustainability.

Drones are a Sustainable Solution for Firefighting and Environmental Protection

Drones are powered by batteries, which means that they do not produce harmful emissions that contribute to air pollution and climate change. Drones are also more sustainable for firefighting applications. They have a smaller carbon footprint and are more sustainable when compared to conventional firefighting techniques, like ground vehicles or helicopters. By offering an entirely new perspective and access to hard-to-reach locations, they also have the potential to transform firefighting. Drones can be utilised at several stages of the firefighting process, from finding the fire to observing it spread and assisting the ground-based firefighters. Drones can also be used to spot and track possible fire threats like dry vegetation or downed power lines before they start a fire. This may lower the need for firefighting resources by preventing wildfires. Drones may mitigate the damage that fires cause to wildlife habitats and the environment by preventing wildfires. To drop water or chemicals on the fire, they can also be equipped with water tanks and fire-retardant systems. Firefighters may more precisely target the fire and use less water by using drones to carry water or chemical agents. This is crucial in locations with scarce water supplies or in areas prone to drought where water conservation is essential.

Drones Reduce Carbon Emissions and Road Congestion

Carbon emissions and road congestion could be decreased by using commercial drones for logistics. Drones can be used to deliver supplies and goods to isolated locations, eliminating the need for conventional, fossil fuel-based transportation methods. Drones can also be used for last-mile delivery, which lowers the number of delivery trucks on the road and cuts down on carbon emissions.

Drones Revolutionise Farming and Reduce Environmental Impact

Precision agriculture makes use of technology to increase crop productivity while reducing waste. Drones equipped with cameras and sensors may capture in-depth images of fields and provide farmers with important information about the condition of their crops, the quality of their soil, and how much water they have been spraying. With the use of this data, farmers may be able to make good decisions about pest control, fertiliser and irrigation, which will result in more efficient use of resources and less environmental impact. With a remotely piloted aircraft or drone, the entire field can be surveyed while the farmer is standing still. A drone can also be effectively utilised to spray fertiliser into a field. Due to their lack of speed and efficiency, heavy farm equipment that contributes to pollution may no longer be necessary.

In conclusion, drone technology has evolved into a significant instrument for sustainability. This system is expected to continue as additional drone-based solutions materialise, hopefully bringing in a more reliable future.

References

Castillo, L. E., Sabou, M., Rizkallah, J., & Ge, Y. (2019). Drones for Sustainable Last-Mile Delivery: State-of-the-Art and Future Research Directions. Sustainability, 11(23), 6738. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236738

Hamedi, M., Amini, M., & Ramezani, M. (2020). The Role of Drone Technology in Sustainable Urban Freight Transport. Journal of Cleaner Production, 270, 122329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122329

Tampubolon, A. M., Purwanto, H., & Lubis, A. M. (2019). The Role of Drone Technology in Forest Fire Management: A Review. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1175(1), 012088. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1175/1/012088