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Drones for Humanity
Drones are quickly becoming the future of saving lives.
Drones for Humanity
Drones are quickly becoming the future of saving lives.
August 5, 2019
T
he opportunities are endless when it comes to what drones can do for today’s society. We have seen drones used recreationally, in the military, within the media, to improve engineering processes, and even to deliver small packages. With the many uses we have already found for drones, what can we do next with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology?

Saving Lives
Fortunately, a technology that was first invented as a weapon of war is now being used for humanitarian purposes. Drones provide a safer and faster approach to emergency responses. Here are three ways those efforts are being carried out.




  1. Search and Rescue: Search and rescue is an extremely time-sensitive process that usually requires large amounts of resources, effort, and money. And, it can be extremely dangerous for those involved. Whether attempting to find a lost hiker or victims after a natural disaster, it is crucial for responders to act fast and efficiently. Through drone technology, responders are able to receive real-time data and imagery of the UAVs’ search efforts. This technology makes it possible to perform surveillance over a large area of land in a short amount of time. Drones with infrared thermal imaging capability can detect body heat. This allows rescue to occur even when victims are hidden due to night-time operations or harsh weather conditions. Drones allow police officers, fire fighters, and volunteers to refocus their energy and save time when every second counts.


  2. Disaster Relief: Drones can help reduce the time spent to effectively assist survivors by managing information and translating data into actions. Responders use 3D mapping and images to locate victims and reach areas humans and vehicles cannot. This information can be used to assess damage to buildings, roads, and power lines. Drones can further provide relief where it is extremely dangerous for people to travel such as in flooded areas, wildfires, collapsing infrastructure, and around harmful nuclear materials.


  3. Humanitarian Aid: It can be extremely difficult and dangerous to provide people with food, and medical and rescue supplies in war-torn and secluded rural areas. Drones have the potential to carry up to 5 kilograms of medical goods, vaccines, and other survival supplies. In disaster situations, drones can deliver ropes, flotation devices, defibrillators, emergency blood, water, food, anti-venom, and more. Drones are not only used during disasters, but to deliver high demand supplies to rural areas, especially in undeveloped countries. In Ghana, hundreds of drones will be used to deliver vaccines, blood, and medicines to patients in life-threatening situations. Drones are changing the way we approach humanitarian aid and allowing responders to reach people where it was nearly impossible to before.


As drones are increasingly used towards humanitarian purposes, we will continue to see improvements in their abilities and the ways that they can be applied.

References
https://fpvdronereviews.com/guides/history-of-drones/
https://news.usc.edu/143636/drones-humanitarian-aid-can-save-lives-usc-experts-online-class/
Jody Landis
Marketing Intern ~ ConnectShip
 Jody Landis attends Penn State University where she will be graduating with a degree in Supply Chain Information Systems in May of 2020. She is also pursuing minors in two areas of great interest – International Business and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Jody is living in Atlanta, Georgia for the summer where she has joined ConnectShip as a Marketing Intern through her position with UPS in Global Customer Solutions. In her free time, Jody loves to spend her time exploring the outdoors, traveling, playing her Ukulele, and creating crochet tops.