A few of the best drone use cases include scolding people if outside with no face mask, medical deliveries, using thermal cameras for taking people temperatures, and spraying disinfectant across large areas using retrofitted agricultural quadcopters.
Here is our break down of many ways drones are presently supporting efforts for containing the coronavirus:
DRONERESPONDERS, the AIRT public services division, has formed a public safety UAS task force for helping fight the Covid-19 spread. The task force shall be functioning to address mission planning needs and potential use cases that could assist with containment initiatives. Also, it will be cooperating with partners in private industries and the government to provide ideas on how UAVs can aid in fighting the pandemic.
Along with the task force creation, AIRT announced it should be establishing a research system to help track and identify operational use cases about the COVID-19 pandemic.
DJI company has been working with its Agras drones to spray an alcohol-based chlorine disinfectant in places potentially affected by the virus. They already have covered a remarkable amount of terrain, apparently spraying disinfectant round 3,000,000 Square Meters in the city of Shenzhen.
Drone maker XAG has also set up a $715,000 (5-million-yuan) volunteer fund to facilitate the usage of its agriculture drones to spray disinfectant to prevent the coronavirus spread.
The Christiansburg, VA residents have a working drone delivery system in position. Alphabet’s Wing started deliveries recently there with their Part 135 certification, dispatching small items such as over-the-counter medical supplies and foods.
Postal deliveries with drones are giving a lift to overworked post office workers while helping minimize the human contact element that remains with standard postal delivery.
In China, Antwork by Terra Drone has been performing medical drone deliveries starting from the disease control center of Xinchang County to the People’s Hospital of Xinchang County to help avoid human contact with the novel coronavirus.
CNN has published on drones getting used to speaking with Chinese citizens regarding safety measures they must be following to avoid being contracted with the COVID-19.
In Spain, public safety officers have been applying drones like flying loudspeakers for spreading the information that everybody should stay inside to help prevent spreading the coronavirus.
In China, drones also have been used like loudspeakers yet to talk straight to specific people, requesting them to wear face masks and go home.
Drones outfitted using thermal cams are being useful to screen body temperatures, enabling medical staff to detect new likely cases without needing to touching those who may be infected.
In probably the more low-technology drone uses we have heard of, drones have been reportedly carrying banners along with messages on how individuals can avoid exposure to the coronavirus.
In addition to drone’s usage in containment attempts, here are some other means drones have formed the headline about the coronavirus:
Major drone-related expos and conferences have been recently canceled in bid to support the virus containment. For instance, AUVSI’s annual XPONENTIAL event, which was slated for May, is withdrawn and rescheduled tentatively for August.
Also, drones are documenting publicly what the corona has done to main towns. One now widely shared video previews the deserted, eerie Wuhan streets.
DJI has successfully pledged nearly 1.5 million dollars in aid to contain the Covid-19, and XAG company has raised a $715K funding to aid containment efforts.
Know of any other ways in which drones are getting used to battle the coronavirus disease? Leave a comment on this post to share whatever you know.