Image via Complex Original
Because of the U.S. military's controversial use of combat drones, the word itself gets a bad wrap. Some drone manufacturers have even gone as far as launching rebranding efforts, calling their products "unmanned aerial vehicles" instead. It's a shame this is even necessary. Drones have plenty of exciting, innocuous uses that don't deserve to be associated with air strikes.
Regardless of semantics, drones are only going to become more popular. That's why we we gathered some of the coolest drone developments with 15 Uses for Drones That Don't Involve Controversial Killings.
Fighting Forest Fires
Introduced by: Spain
As someone who grew up in Colorado and now lives in California, I'll tell you forest fires are a real bitch. But drones could make them more manageable by gathering information as the fires can change directions and intensity in an instant. They can also hover over dead zones to create WiFi hot spots, where firefighters or others need to gather information.
Checking Traffic
Introduced by: Renault
Renault debuted the KWID concept car in India, which comes with its own drone to fly ahead of the car and check on traffic conditions. It can be programmed to follow the car's GPS, or can be controlled manually with touchscreen inside the vehicle.
Runway Coverage
Introduced by: Fendi
At this year's Milan fashion week Fendi became the first fashion house to deploy a drone on (over) the runway. How has the world even been living without overhead photos?! As Mugatu would say, drones are so hot right now.
Police Work
Introduced by: Homeland Security
Earlier this year Rodney Brossart, the first man arrested with the assistance of a drone, was sentenced to three years in prison. After a 16-hour standoff with police the SWAT team borrowed a drone from Homeland Security to find where the Brossart was hiding on his property. Brossart tried to argue the drone use was illegal, but a U.S. District Court judge disagreed.
Disaster Relief
Introduced by: U.K.
In the event of a hurricane or earthquake, drones could not only be used to transport life-saving equipment and supplies, they could also be used to gather information necessary to plot relief efforts. The United Kingdom has invested $17 million into a program called Orchid that's testing implementation for emergencies.
Sports Broadcasting
Introduced by: Sochi Olympics
The Sochi Winter Olympics was full of blunders, but its usage of drones wasn't one of them. Drones were used to film skiing and snowboarding, and it's possible for usage to spread to other sports because drones have much more room for flexibility than cameras suspended from wires. Imagine being two feet away from those increasingly rare touchdown celebrations.
Search and Rescue
Introduced by: S.W.A.R.M.
There is a whole network of drone operators just for search and rescue. S.W.A.R.M. has more than 1,100 people worldwide who are ready to use their drones to find missing persons. It's much cheaper than using planes or helicopters, and the drones could actually get even better footage.
Counting Wildlife
Introduced by: Wyoming
Wyoming was just one of seven states that tried to cozy up to the FAA as it chose six locations for drone testing. The Cowboy State's argument was that it would be a perfect place to use drones for counting wildlife because it's home to more animals than humans.
Taking Selfies
Introduced by: Numerous kids who think they're super cool
A recent Cal Berkeley graduate stunted on all his peers with a drone selfie so epic his alma mater shared it on its official Instagram account. Something tells us he won't have a hard time getting a job.
Journalism
Introduced by: University of Missouri and University of Nebraska
The University of Missouri Journalism School-where, full disclosure, I'm an alumus of-has experimented with drone journalism. Drones can be used to gather information and photos from areas journalists would be unable to reach from the ground. This forward thinking is what makes me proud of Mizzou's J-School.
Aerial Photography
Introduced by: Unknown
Drones can take some breathtaking photos from up to 400 feet, depending on an area's laws. For example, the National Park Service has banned the use of drones at all 58 National Forests. Local trespassing laws can also forbid you from flying low over someone's property. And even if you're not breaking the law, you could end up pissing off someone with a lack of common sense and decency, like what happened to this poor guy.
Hopefully drone photography will become more widely accepted, though. Earlier this month Dronestagram gave prizes for the best drone photography.
Holding the Police Accountable
Introduced by: Daniel Saulmon
Just last month Daniel Saulmon entered the news for using a drone as part of his efforts to monitor the LAPD for possible abuses of power. He hasn't gotten in any trouble for the drone, but he has previously been arrested for filming the police with a non-drone-operated camera.
Delivering Packages
Introduced by: Amazon
Amazon and many other companies are pushing hard for the FAA to change their rules and allow drones to be used for commercial purposes. It makes a lot of sense for Amazon, especially because the company would no longer need to rely on a third party for shipping (or at least be able to reduce that dependence). Just last week Amazon asked the FAA to allow testing for a 50-mph drone that can carry up to five pounds. So far the FAA hasn't responded.
Room Service
Introduced by: Casa Madrona
This isn't your local Super 8. Casa Madrona, a super bougie hotel in the Bay Area, has introduced drone room service to its $10,000-per-night Alexandrite Suite. "I think we're going to set ourselves apart," the hotel manager said. We think so, too.
Beer Delivery
Introduced by: Lakemaid Brewery
Unfortunately, this didn't last long. The FAA sent a cease and desist letter to a Minnesota brewery after its first and only beer delivery via drone. Lakemaid Brewery Company's owners got the idea to use a drone after seeing an episode of 60 Minutes, but their drone usage violated the FAA's laws against using drones for commerical services.