Drone Technology and its Place in Transportation

The Martin Jetpack in action.

There have been huge advancements in drone technology over the last few decades.  Drones have become smaller, faster, and much more agile, turning them from a science fiction dream into a real piece of equipment with several practical applications.  One of the more recent bi-products of the drone boom is the Quadrotor Helicopter and their affordability means just about anyone can obtain one for personal use.

With the right amount of research and development, these frail hummingbirds could be fortified into load bearing drones  that are capable of transporting a subject to and from destinations that ordinarily would be difficult to reach in a vehicle.  This could save money on transportation fees as well as be used in medical extraction scenarios.

In recent years, we have seen advancements in driverless cars that have been extremely promising.  As testing continues, the public is slowly becoming more comfortable with the concept of a transportation device that doesn’t require human influence.  It is possible that within the decade we could get in our car, plug an address into a GPS system, and take a nap until we arrive at our destination.  The same could be done with drones.  This would cut down on commute times, remove human error (reducing the number of traffic collisions), and potentially save the lives of critically injured subjects in difficult to reach places.

There are of course flaws in this system as it is currently just an idea and has not been implemented in general public use.  There are safety concerns as well as legal issues.  There are designated no-fly zones that would need to be programed into every drone and wirelessly updated in real time.  The government has certain areas that it doesn’t necessarily want people flying over for security reasons.  Regulations would have to be put in place for the safety of those operating and being transported by the drones so as to minimize accidental injury.

These issues among many others beyond my assessment would need to be addressed, but the concept seems increasingly plausible as we progress technologically.