The Most Exciting Finalists from Drones for Good 2017

With ‘Drones for Good UAE’ ending this week, Heliguy Insider is looking at some of the most innovative and intriguing companies up for the award. With the general public still a bit wary when it comes to using drones in a commercial setting, it’s always good to see schemes which promote them as a force for good. So, without further ado, here is a list (in no particular order) of the most interesting finalists in Drones for Good and what they have achieved.

Wingcopter

The Wingcopter is a versatile hybrid drone designed to offer lifesaving support in emergency situations. The aircraft has been designed so that it can be vertically launched and landed anywhere. Couple this with a reported flight time of up to 2 hours, a range of 100km and speeds reaching 150km/h and you’re looking at a nifty bit of kit.

The aptly named Wingcopter is a cross between a multirotor and a fixed wing. The company claims that it can switch between these two functionalities in seconds allowing for a versatile approach to each individual search and rescue operation. Designed to reach the scene ahead of first responders and beam images directly back to the control room, the Wingcopter has the potential to save lives by providing increased levels of on-site information to help teams prioritise their approach. It’s a great looking machine which can, according to its creators, remain stable in challenging weather conditions and winds reaching up to 50km/h which would make it a robust addition to emergency service provision.

Wireless Drone Charging

One of the most frequent complaints you’ll hear from drone pilots is that they’re severely limited by short battery life. Of course, there’s the option to simply pack a few more but this still involved bringing the aircraft down and abandoning whatever you were doing. This is something that the Multi-Perspective Constant Aerial Surveillance System from East Hawk is looking to change. It currently has two solutions available: one which uses thin, tangle free power cables known as the stationary tethered aerial robot system but it’s the other option that will have people talking. Using a ‘3D wireless charging platform’, the solution offers the first ever omnidirectional wireless charging for drones allowing them to stay in the air until the job is done.

As you can see, there’s still a fair way to go until wirelessly charged drones fill the skies but it’s certainly an interesting concept that’s going to turn a few heads.

IntelliDrones

Created to reduce the possibility of human error in the operation of drones in challenging environments, IntelliDrones promises a system which controls a fleet of unmanned aircraft throughout complex tasks. The main features being advertised are:

• Automatic flight path planning and optimisation

• Real-time tracking in dynamic environments

• Autonomous battery charging by drones

• Recharge scheduling and optimisation to maximise flight times

Proposed uses for the IntelliDrones system include remote surveillance and monitoring site efficiency for utility services. They’re already trialling the latter by partnering with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, providing them access to their fleet management solution.

UAV companies like DJI already have their sites on similar solutions (just take a look at the Ground Station Pro app) so it will be interesting to see if IntelliDrones can differentiate enough to make their mark in this highly competitive space.

Skycart

Billed as ‘the world’s first fully automated drone delivery service’ Skycart has been developed to help everyone from hospitals to courier services, retailers to restaurants with the reduction of shipping costs. Leasing their drones for a monthly fee to help businesses tackle the costly ‘last mile’ delivery stage, Skycart’s UAVs offer the ability to provide rapid supply to consumers who increasingly demand instant gratification. Using autonomous drones which the company claims are around 60% more efficient than commonly used shipping methods, the process sounds very intuitive. When booking a delivery, customers enter their address into the Skycart app; one of their drones receives these instructions and takes over, picking up the package and flying it to its destination for a timely, safe drop off.

Their patented ‘automated transportation system’ combines drone hardware, a mobile application and cloud-based data storage to provide a streamlined solution for both businesses and their customers. Already having gained a contract with Switzerland’s Swiss Post, Skycart is certainly one to watch. We have previously covered the potential of drone delivery from companies such as Amazon here on Heliguy Insider, but it’s interesting to see the level of competition that already exists in this nascent market.

FINDER

Designed to identify human heartbeats and breathing, FINDER is an accurate solution being advertised for use by search and rescue teams in the aftermath of natural disasters. This isn’t the extent of its potential, however, as there’s scope for its use by border patrol agencies, military scouting and a range of emergency service use cases.

Developed by NASA in their Jet Propulsion Laboratory alongside the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, there is already a great deal of interest in FINDER. The sensors that detect signs of life are attached to the aircraft’s gimbal and transmit signals which are made viewable to the operator on a tablet device. There’s only a need for a single operator and testing has shown FINDER to be even more accurate than traditional detection methods such as using dogs.  

You can see the rest of the finalists by visiting the Drones for Good UAE page

Contributing Closer to Home

Having been a part of the industry since RC helicopters were as advanced as it got, Heliguy has grown and developed alongside the drone ecosystem. We promote responsible usage and strive to keep both our customers and the wider community informed as to the positive potential of UAVs in a range of sectors. We’ve worked alongside and trained numerous police and fire departments, liaised with teams who advocate their usage in search and rescue and gained insights from large companies looking to change perceptions through high profile drone schemes. With our expanding Enterprise focus, we’re educating and supplying companies from industries as varied as agriculture and emergency services – ensuring that our products and expertise are leveraged to further the idea of ‘Drones for Good’. Additionally, if you're looking to pursue a business strategy using drones yourself, it's worth learning more about our CAA-approved training courses which can help you become a qualified commercial drone pilot.

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For more information on what Heliguy can offer you or if you just want to talk about the potential of drones as commercial assets you can reach us with the details below:

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Keep checking back to Heliguy’s Insider blog for more details of ongoing UAV schemes, how drones are benefitting enterprise projects and, of course, the latest news from around the industry.