Credit: Inquisitr[/caption]We have all heard the news about drones and all the negativity associated with them. And this has included concerns about them being used against citizens here in the US. While we should be concerned about exactly how drones may be used by the military or law enforcement to create a Big Brother watching us situation, those are not the only uses for drones which can benefit society. There are so many places where the use of a piloted plane can now be replaced by a drone. Here are a few examples of how that can be utilized.
Radiation measurement by drones
We all remember the nuclear power plant problems in Japan and the problems with trying to get accurate measurements in the air without causing harm to the pilots flying overhead. There is now the ability to affix the equipment to a drone and fly that over a nuclear plant without placing anyone in harms way. This is being done at Sandia National Labs in New Mexico where they have recently developed drones to fly over areas to detect whether there has been a nuclear detonation and the impact of that. The same concept applies when a nuclear power plant has significant mechanical failures. With drones, they can get much closer to the location and not risk someone's life.
Climate changes measured by drones
With all the discussion about climate change and associated concerns being raised, drones are now being used to fly over various locations to take measurements. These are immediately fed to computers on the ground while the drones fly for up to 31 hours. Piloted planes for this kind of research cannot stay up anywhere near that time. All the information gathered will provided necessary information to determine the impact to the atmosphere and provide answers as to what should be done.
Wildlife monitoring by drones
Scientists have had difficulty monitoring some wildlife as they may be too mobile. Flying an aircraft to monitor them makes too much noise and has an impact. By using drones, there is far less of an impact to wildlife which they are monitoring. The ability to monitor poaching of animals in the jungle has become a much easier process with the use of drones. Or monitoring Sea Lions in the arctic is another example of using drones to accomplish scientific needs. Or the study of Sperm Whales is another of the scientific study. And there are many other examples of this going on.
Conclusion
The use of drones for military or law enforcement usage is one that is in the news and controversial. The use for research which can have benefits to society is one that we can all agree is something which should be pursued. We can all hope to hear of many more examples such as these in the future.
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