Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
At first, drones were explicitly for military use. This is true because the first drones took part in the First World War.
However, the once pilotless vehicles for only the military now have a wide range of purposes globally for commercial and personal requirements. So, what is the main purpose of a drone?
The primary purpose of a drone ranges from military to commercial and recreational applications. Drones are beneficial because they can access the most remote areas where people find it difficult. Still, the type of drone determines the role it plays and its cost.
Undeniably, these are exciting times thanks to the evolving drone technology that continues to make life easier.
Keep reading for more about a drone’s purpose.
Table of contents
What is the Main Purpose of a Drone?
1. Military Purpose:
The military purpose of a drone is still significant in today’s world. Research by Globe Newswire states that the global military drone market is expected to hit $23.78 billion by 2027.
Consequently, UAVs are still helpful in different military applications because of their high convenience and reduced losses.
Such military operations include;
Surveillance:
The primary function of a military drone is gathering intelligence through surveillance. Luckily, some military drones have long flight ranges, which allow them to reach distant destinations.
Additionally, these drones carry out surveillance from a safe space by using high-definition cameras, multispectral sensors, and thermal scanners. These features help military surveillance drones to record actual aerial footage.
Reconnaissance:
Carrying out a survey is vital in the military industry. Reconnaissance involves collecting valuable data about the target.
Using a military drone helps the personnel get accurate information to establish plans about the target or location.
Situational Assessment:
With actual data, it becomes easy for the military to predict sudden changes, establish enemy positions, map out terrains, and even forecast the weather. This helps to make informed decisions, strategize and predict a possible outcome of the missions.
Combat Assessment:
Combat assessment occurs in two stages; pre- and post-attack assessment.
After a war, military drones help in assessing the damages. These drones scan the battleground to get detailed and valuable information that determines the level of damage to enemy territory.
Moreover, this aerial footage shows the effectiveness or success of a mission. This way, the military staff can plan an attack by looking at the possibility and extent of further losses.
2. Commercial Purpose:
Photography:
Photography is among the top commercial or personal uses of drones to date. Drone photography is rapidly evolving thanks to better features.
Now, drones have high-quality cameras that help photographers take excellent aerial images. Besides, the main reason for drone photography is to provide aerial shots and views that seem impossible with ordinary cameras.
Ultimately, drones are synonymous with taking hard-to-reach images of sports events, landscapes, above water, and cityscapes. This ability makes modern commercial photographers become experts in fantastic and unthinkable shots. What’s more?
Thanks to drones, photographers can now take shots from a bird’s-eye perspective, which was only possible using a helicopter. Getting a helicopter for photography was nearly impossible because of the high cost.
You needed to hire the helicopter, a pilot, and even risk your life and the equipment trying to get the right angles.
Now, drones come with cameras, or you can easily attach a camera to your drone and fly it anywhere you want.
Filmmaking:
Without a doubt, filmmaking has become an easy and more interesting commercial use of drones. With basic knowledge of different drone maneuvers, filmmakers can take videos with incredible details that were hard to achieve.
Aside from high-quality video, filmmakers also use drones to film action scenes. You’ll find that most Hollywood films use drones to film because it’s straightforward, simple, and easy to set up.
Drones’ versatility in filmmaking provides a wide range of aerial cinematography with beautiful scenery.
Remember the chase in James Bonds movie Skyfall. The filmmakers used drones to follow the actor as he pursued the villain on the rooftops. Flying-Cam 3.0 Sarah was used in this film.
Such a thrilling experience may have been hard to achieve with rails and camera jibs.
Logistics and Delivery:
Now, different businesses are handling their logistics and transportation using drones. Here’s how.
With the high increase in transportation and logistics costs, businesses are finding the need to use innovative solutions. Drones are a powerful solution that improves the efficiency of many business systems.
Moreover, there are many drone applications in many businesses to help improve everyday operations. For instance, drones are taking over significant warehouse records by helping employees find and pick items for dispatch without needing a manual process. This way, companies save money on hiring more people and still work efficiently.
Aside from streamlining the operations of warehouses, retail businesses are now providing their consumers with convenient delivery and package tracking services.
Since the COVID-19 period, human delivery has become time-consuming, less popular, and more efficient. Even though it’s currently operational in some areas, drone package delivery is an incredible concept that needs more experimentation.
Many companies want to send drones to distant locations to deliver goods to their consumers.
With drone delivery, the possibility of your goods getting lost is almost zero; hence it’s very efficient. Still, consumers can expect timely delivery in the right conditions. Companies also save a lot by not needing to hire delivery people.
Architecture and Construction:
People are building new commercial or residential buildings every day. As an essential part of many lives, the construction industry is looking to improve the entire process.
From design/ architecture to construction, experts agree that it takes a lot of time, money, and effort to reach successful completion. Therefore, these experts agree that they must adapt to new process methods to help advance the industry.
Undeniably, manual construction processes like real-time surveys, tracking risks, and site visits are prolonged and laborious.
Firstly, drones are becoming popular in architecture and construction to take aerial footage of a construction site, map the structure, and make 3D models. An architect uses the mapped-out structure accurately and efficiently to design and plan projects.
Secondly, drones help in aerial monitoring of building sites. They conduct real-time surveys, quick data collection visits, and site surveillance. This helps the experts to have better insights, improved productivity, and reduced costs in manual inspections and security.
In the end, drones for construction are convenient, cheaper, and safer than a helicopter for the entire construction team.
Finally, using drones for construction and architecture helps reduce human error due to features like high-definition cameras and measuring equipment. These guarantee accurate and correct data each time.
In architecture, just a single inch can cause a substantial negative impact on the whole construction project.
Agriculture:
A drone to a farmer is an asset. You see, it becomes difficult and time-consuming for farmers with many acres of land to survey all the crops.
Therefore, a drone helps assess crop growth, plant issues, drainage, and irrigation within a short time. Moreover, farmers use drones to spray crops quickly with adequate pesticides and fertilizer.
Drones are also helpful in collecting data like wind strength and speed, soil moisture, rain, and temperature.
Concentrating on problematic areas on the farm helps reduce crop failure and costs. Generally, this improves productivity and safety.
3. Recreational Purpose:
Thanks to the versatility of drones, they are now available in personal spaces. Many people buy a drone for recreational use, like hobbies, personal interests, and enjoyment.
You can use your drone for the recreational purpose to;
Play Games:
Nowadays, children are flying small drones in their homes. Better still, adults are engaging their kids to play games with their drones as a way of bonding.
You’ll find families going out in an open space to compete by flying their drones and performing stunts in the air.
Traveling:
The best way to remember holidays and vacations is by taking images and videos. Because drones are now smaller and lighter, people are carrying them wherever.
Plus, they are easier to capture memorable moments and beautiful scenery. Using drones for traveling images and videos also positively impacts tourism’s growth.
Fishing:
Did you know that your drone can help you fish? Drone fishing is becoming more popular by the day.
Surprisingly, a drone makes it easy for you to find and catch fish. You can scout better for areas with fish from an aerial view. So, it helps you see fish underwater for you to go and drop your fishing line.
Still, a drone can help you drop baits where your fishing rod cannot reach. This helps you attract and catch bigger fish.
Home Maintenance:
It’s easier and safer to keep an eye on your roof, chimney, and gutters using a drone. Furthermore, if you own a large property, you can schedule surveys with your drone to ensure everything is in good condition.
The footage you take while surveying your property can also help you improve.
Final Word:
So, what is the main purpose of a drone? The most famous drone purpose has been military operations for a long time. However, the advancement of drone technology is shaping more practical commercial and personal applications. This technology is making it easy to drive efficiency and data interpretation.
This overhead buzzing of drones is becoming a familiar sound globally, helping people accomplish their business goals and have fun.
With aggressive and optimistic forecasts for the drone market, you can only expect more purposes from this incredible piece of technology.
HAPPY FLYING!
Hi,
What’s the main difference between Drone and a UAVs or they are same. By the way very useful and interesting article.
Thanks!
Yes, they both are same.