Using drones to detect changes or objects in the environment is one of the most powerful applications of the technology to date. Detection drones are able to detect a large number of environmental changes thanks to a wide range of sensors.
The history of gas detection drones
Drones have always been used to detect changes in the environment or objects, especially when it comes to the drones first used by the military. As drones have become more affordable for businesses, this has obviously changed with many payloads being developed.
These payloads include visual sensors, thermography sensors, sound sensors, radiation sensors, gas sensors, and LiDAR sensors. Using any of the above allows for changes to be detected and tracked over time.
Gas detection drones in Australia: use cases (air, land, water)
As detection drones mostly relies on a sensor to do all of the work there is a wide range of use cases from detecting gas, to detecting leaks, and even fire ant populations.
- Ground-based Radiation Detection
- Ground-based Acoustic leak detection
- Fire Ant Detection
- Noise Anomaly Detection
- Hot Spot Detection
- Gas Detection
The future of detection drones
Using drones for detection will always remain a large application thanks to the increased safety and lower costs it brings to companies. As more sensors are released and current ones are improved on, using drones to detect changes within the environment will continue to grow. This is also aided by improved drone platforms, such as the Boston Dynamics Spot and DJI Matrice 300 RTK.
