Accelerator: Drones

Unmanned aerial vehicles remotely controlled by software or human operator, often equipped with cameras, sensors and other functionalities

Drones

Accelerator > Intelligent Devices

Low-cost, highly-capable unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones enabling many industry and consumer applications

Definition
  • Unmanned aerial vehicles remotely controlled by software or human operator, often equipped with cameras, sensors and other functionalities

Outlook
  • Increased penetration as competitors increase, prices decrease, functionality improves, and drones become easier to operate
  • Expanded innovation across wide variety of applications, including agriculture (crop monitoring), construction, energy, logistics (product delivery), real estate, science (wildlife monitoring, mapping) and video production, not to mention capturing selfies and action shots
  • Continued challenges by government regulatory bodies concerned about issues like safety and security

Implications
  • Improving decision-making and reducing risks with higher quality, up-to-date imaging and other data
  • Reducing labor-intensive activities such as remote maintenance, security checks and surveillance
  • Democratizing video and image capturing previously limited to well-funded businesses
  • Replacing land-based delivery of selected high-value, low-weight products
  • Increasing privacy and terrorism risks

How might you use drones to make better decisions, improve timely delivery of high-value products, or reduce labor-intensive activities?

Briefings

Logistics company UPS received approval from U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to operate drone airline for healthcare delivery in U.S.

October 28, 2019

Sports car maker Porsche and aerospace company Boeing partnered to explore opportunities in premium urban air mobility market

October 18, 2019

Nissan introduced self-steering golf ball based on its ProPILOT 2.0 driver assistance technology, which debuted in latest Skyline vehicle

September 4, 2019

Chinese startup EHang to conduct pilot in Guangzhou city, China for autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) transport network by 2019 or 2020

August 8, 2019

Sony announced Smart Agriculture Solution, which uses drones and sensors to image, process and analyze data to better monitor crops

April 2, 2019

MIT researchers developed object tracking system for robotic applications, such as drone deliveries, packaging and assembly

March 8, 2019

Boeing Australia announced plans to make autonomous jet drone for military purposes, showed model at Australia International Airshow in Melbourne on February 27, 2019

March 1, 2019

Drone security startup Sunflower Labs showed off autonomous home surveillance system, which uses drone and ground-based sensors, at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019

February 5, 2019

Chinese e-commerce site JD.com conducted first government-approved drone flight in Indonesia on January 8, 2019, delivering backpacks and books to school

January 30, 2019

Canada published new rules requiring drone operators to obtain drone pilot license and maintain visibility of drone at all times, which will take effect on June 1, 2019

January 25, 2019
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