There is no question that drones have incredible potential. It is not without reason that global corporations like Amazon are investing heavily in the versatile flying objects. Many experts also believe that drones have a promising future. They will be used for a wide variety of purposes in the future. Above all, of course, in transport – Amazon Packet deliveries, but also in the area of humanitarian aid operations.
Can drones save lives?
In many people’s minds, the idea of drones is associated with war and suffering. Not without reason – the US military in particular has made enormous improvements in the field of combat drones in the last 10 years. The name of the most famous US military drone alone sounds frightening “MQ-Reaper” in German “the Grim Reaper”. We now have to rethink things, because threats are proving to be a helpful tool for us humans. There have already been many successful deployments of so-called “copters”. This is what the counterparts of military drones are colloquially called.
Start-ups such as Matternet from Silicon Valley or Mamabird have therefore specialized in building such copters. They are designed to provide people in exceptional situations or crisis areas in remote areas with provisions and medication. Such deliveries could e.g. B. also take place in war zones such as Ukraine or places hit by earthquakes, where it would be too dangerous for manned transport.
Humanitarian aid drones – German scientists are also involved
In the event of a disaster, it is extremely important for relief organizations to determine the extent of the damage to building structures and traffic routes as quickly as possible. Scientists at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have launched a project called Drones4Good. In cooperation with various international institutions, they are developing a technology based on artificial intelligence (AI) that enables rapid drone-based analyzes of disaster areas.
Practical tests are already being carried out as part of the project. The final goal, in an emergency, is for the drones to evaluate image data in real time at speeds of up to 140 km/h using an installed camera during a flight, even during the flight. It is planned that the helpers on the ground will receive extracted geo-information about the actual location of the affected region in no time. This means that aid organizations do not lose valuable time in saving human lives.
These scenarios were already simulated in autumn 2021. The dropping of relief supplies by drones without endangering people or infrastructure is also being perfected at full speed. In addition to search operations, they will in future be used at major events, such as concerts or festivals, where there are large gatherings of people. The air support is intended to make it easier for paramedics on the ground. In summary, practice shows that drones can do much more than wage war.
