The article reveals the evolution of FPV drones from model aircraft to modern combat kamikaze drones.
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Drones are actively introduced into modern cities, contributing to their development, increasing safety and comfort. They are used to monitor traffic, broadcast events, deliver goods, search and rescue people, provide mobile Internet and support security services. These innovations are becoming a key element of smart city infrastructure.
Modern technologies already allow using quadcopters to improve the quality of life in urban environments. The use of such drones, comparable in size to the DRK-1 from the Star Wars universe, opens up new opportunities for creating efficient and safe urban spaces.
The material presents eight ways of implementing drones for the development of “smart” cities, which are designed to provide comfort, environmental safety and time saving for residents. All solutions are accompanied by illustrations and practical examples.
A “smart” city is defined as a space that promotes comfort, safety and efficient use of resources. The concept of urban drones refers to quadcopters and other similar unmanned devices capable of adapting to the conditions of modern urban environments.
Example: Phil Dunphy (Modern Family, iSpy) flies a quadcopter to survey the area behind the wall and to show properties to customers.
Drones provide video broadcasting in busy places, during city events, sports games or concerts, allowing to create quality reports and reach a wide audience.
Example: At the Olympic Games, performances of skiers and snowboarders were broadcast.
Air delivery drones help save time, decongest roads and reduce air pollution, ensuring environmentally friendly and fast transportation of goods.
Example: Amazon announced Prime Air, a service that delivers parcels directly to customers by air in less than half an hour.
Drones can provide high-speed internet to city dwellers by acting as mobile Wi-Fi hotspots in areas with poor network coverage.
Example: A DARPA program called Mobile Hotspot involves using obsolete military drones to provide Internet access. Similar ideas were expressed by Facebook, planning to use drones as Wi-Fi hotspots.
Drones can perform the functions of the fire service, entering burning buildings to locate victims, deliver first aid kits and transmit the necessary instructions for rescue.
Example: Similar to the movie Spider-Man (2002), drones can combine the ability to penetrate hard-to-reach places, similar to Spider-Man, with the functionality and technical capabilities of the Green Goblin glider, ensuring effectiveness in difficult environments.
Drones are capable of surveying the roofs of buildings and skyscrapers, finding people trapped during floods or other emergencies. They can deliver communications, food and medicine, providing emergency care. In addition, such drones simplify delivery for residents of high-rise buildings and companies located on the upper floors of tall buildings.
Example: Italian pizzeria Francesco’s Pizzeria delivered a pizza to the roof of a skyscraper in Mumbai in just 10 minutes. Another example is the Coca-Cola company using drones to deliver drinks to skyscraper builders in Singapore, demonstrating the practicality of such solutions in high-altitude conditions.
Equipped with loudspeakers, beacons and sirens, drones can effectively support rescuers and law enforcement, helping to coordinate actions and ensure rapid response in critical situations.
Example: British police announced that they will use Aeryon Skyranger drones in West Sussex.
Drones have become an integral part of the modern urban environment, opening up new opportunities to improve the lives of residents. They are able to increase safety, provide comfort, reduce environmental impact and save time. Thanks to their versatility, drones can perform a wide variety of tasks: from traffic monitoring to rescuing people and delivering goods. Their use becomes an important step in the direction of creating “smart” cities, where technologies work for the benefit of every resident, making life more efficient and safe.
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