Drones are increasingly becoming part of our lives. In parts of the
Philippines, recently devastated by Typhoon Haiyan, drones equipped with
small cameras are proving vital in helping relief teams do their work.
Data collected by drones provides a clear overview of a damaged area,
allowing aid agencies to assess the situation rather than
having to walk or drive through debris. 'Body retrieval, depending on the zone, when the dogs find a person it’s not always in a very accessible zone, so this allows the rescuers to find the best possible and swiftest path possible to go and retrieve that body,' says drone expert Liam Dawson of Danoffice IT.
having to walk or drive through debris. 'Body retrieval, depending on the zone, when the dogs find a person it’s not always in a very accessible zone, so this allows the rescuers to find the best possible and swiftest path possible to go and retrieve that body,' says drone expert Liam Dawson of Danoffice IT.
One Danish-based high-tech firm has deployed two drones
over Tacloban, the worst affected area. Made from resistant plastic
similar to that used in children’s toys, the devices fold away into
small cases and are easy to transport. Each unit has a battery that
allows it to run for up to 25 minutes. Its maximum range is 2 kilometers
and it can travel as high as 150 metres. 'When organisations first saw
it here, they thought it was a bit of a toy. But when they realised all
the different uses it had like body retrieval, road clearance, you name
it, I think this is a tool that will be used in every future disaster,'
says Liam Dawson. While the data they provide is undeniably useful,
such drones are a costly investment at 40,000 euros a piece.
And their
generalised use has raised serious concerns about the collection of data
and privacy rights. The helicopter’s green alternative It looks like a
helicopter and flies like one – the 'Volocopter', as its inventors have
named it, is intended to be a green alternative to the noisy,
vibration-heavy old-fashioned helicopter. The brainchild of three
German inventors, the two-seater prototype recently made its maiden
voyage in Karlsruhe, Germany. Instead of being kitted out with a
combustion engine, it carries eighteen electrically-driven rotors to
propel it. 'We are really pleased. Of course we expect some technical
problems as we are in the early stages of development.
It took us one
and a half years to built the complete structure. But we’ve already had
so many positive results which we hadn’t even expected,' says one of the
Volocopter’s inventors, Alexander Zosel. The Volocopter takes off and
lands vertically just like a conventional helicopter. Powered by a
100-kilo battery, it can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers an hour,
at an altitude of almost 2.000 metres. However, the major downside is
that it only has enough power to fly for 20 minutes. Its designers are
working on ways to increase this. 'In three years’ time we would like to
build a small series of devices, and in five to six years time we’re
planning on a much larger series.
But that would only for be airborne
sports. Our bigger plan for the future is of course to create a means of
transport for everyone. We believe that it will be available in 30, 40
or 50 years’ time, and eventually almost anyone will be able to fly
around with these devices,' says Alexander Zosel. Further tests are
needed before the device can go on the market. The team hopes to start
selling its Volocopter by 2015 for around 250,000 euros each. They are
convinced it will radically change the way we move about the planet,
providing a clean, safe and reliable means of transport.