While a recent Bloomberg article lamented that drones are not yet delivering our Amazon purchases to our backyards in thirty minutes or less, as CEO Jeff Bezos seemed to promise some years ago, drones have quietly made huge leaps in industrial applications of late. Indeed, some drones have become so sophisticated that a startup has now launched the first drone-as-a-service, or DaaS, subscription product for customers in the agriculture, public utility, and security industries.
As software and AI have surpassed advances in the underlying hardware that runs them, leasing state-of-the-art technology has become a popular option. Upfront costs are small and companies are guaranteed the very latest technology. Such is the idea behind ZenaDrone, according to the company’s founder, Shaun Passley.
“ZenaDrone provides flexible drone surveillance services on a subscription basis,” Passley says. “You can utilize the scanning services as often as necessary, and you can choose drone-as-a-service for only the services you need for operations. Simple as that.”
ZenaDrone’s eight-motor drone may look familiar to hobbyists, but its carbon fiber shell disguises state-of-the-art features such as LiDAR (the same technology used in self-driving vehicles), GPS tracker devices, multispectral sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and a raft of high-definition cameras. Taken together, these allow the ZenaDrone to create and tag precise maps of agricultural fields or any other area of interest.
Multispectral scanners, in particular, mark a significant advance in drone capabilities. By registering heat signatures from objects, animals, or persons, drones can do everything from remotely inspect power supply grids, to inform covert military missions, to determine if a livestock animal is pregnant or undernourished.
High-definition cameras also represent a significant leap forward. By capturing 4K video and images, the drone operator can effectively render 3D footage of acquired data for a nearly-limitless number of uses. Passley says that new, highly advanced inspection capabilities will reduce workforce hazards, especially when inspecting cell towers, power grids, and dangerous terrains. Other applications will be farm and crop monitoring, pestilence protection, powerline repairs, and GPS location tagging. Passley says that ZenaDrone is granting priority access to local and federal government agencies, and the company is working on a profit-sharing program for franchisees.
Drone Integration with Other SaaS Solutions
Because ZenaDrone’s major advances are in its software and AI, some of its most innovative features were developed far from the field. The company has, for example, coded an occupational safety management software that automates business forms, secures teams, tracks remote workers, and assists in complying with OSHA standards. A geospatial mapping tool allows users to tag company assets and resources accurately. Recent upgrades include field service management software, a healthcare portal, and customizable attachments including robotic hands. Finally, Passley has integrated ZenaDrone with VR glasses developed by an affiliate company in order to assist field technicians in complex repairs and maintenance. He expects drones to make major inroads in the medical industry, from delivering prescriptions to helping doctors operate and move portable medical equipment.
In other words, while you (sadly) may have to wait several more years to receive your cell phone charger or your Domino’s Pizza directly to your patio or deck, drones are still advancing at a rapid pace. Subscription services like DaaS mean that, at least for drones, the sky is no longer the limit.
