The upcoming trend for drone upgrade is the workflow integration of UAV data into predictive maintenance and service solutions. Drone technology will steadily be incorporated into other business spectrums to improve their versatility.

FREMONT, CA: The steadily diminishing cost of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, has led to its extensive usage across racing, photography, and surveying to package delivery. Drones for entertainment purposes are also on the rise. With the use of drones expected to grow, greater attention is being paid to concerns related to public safety and security. Upcoming trends for the adoption of drone technology are:

1. Expanded Business Use:

The adoption of aerial drones and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology will become widespread as expected. It will grow into most industries like agriculture, construction, insurance, mining, public safety, oil and gas, survey engineering, telecommunications, and utilities.

In the previous year, organizations had moved beyond the provisional use of drones, where they began to expand internal teams to manage workflows and data. This year, reports suggest that companies will develop their teams to enhance drone capabilities to move beyond the visual line of operations.

2. Slower and Steadier Growth:

Last year, the number of certified remote aircrews grew exponentially, which was made up of pilots working specially for enterprises or public agencies with internal drone programs. The commercial sector is now driving growth for the development of the drone program.

3. Public Distrust and Civil Liability:

In spite of the benefits of commercial drone use, the general populace still has concerns about drones with regards to security, safety, privacy, and public nuisance. In many ways, stories regarding drone accidents hurt legitimate commercial operators who often need to gain permission from reluctant property owners so they can perform inspections for infrastructure unreachable by other means.

4. Sensors, Software, and AI Advancements:

Along with the new imaging sensor integration announcements in 2019, more mapping and aerial imaging software firms will likely announce AI capabilities. Right now, most of the technology applied in drones are cloud-based ML (deep learning and predictive analytics), where specialized teams train datasets. Already, there are some drone-based AI solutions in existence, but it is still early in the technology development cycle.