Don't Call My Phone, Send A Drone

         We have to admit that researching drones for this week's post has made us feel a little bit paranoid, so we'll do our best to avoid the apocalyptic applications of these flying beasts. Instead, we'll focus mainly on the practical functions of these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known drones, from clothing you to feeding you to spying on your neighbors.

Don't Laugh, It's Not a Joke...

         Just imagine: you wake up for your Sunday paper (on your iPad of course), pour yourself a cup of coffee, and open up the window to let in the soothing familiarity of the scent of spring and the buzz of drones. You used to get woken up by those pesky songbirds every morning at 6:00 but due to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations of drone delivery, and of course the mass killing of songbirds from drone prevalence, you get a few more hours of shut-eye as delivery service doesn't start until 9:00. Your day just keeps getting better, and with the delivery of that F.C. Barcelona jersey you just ordered for tonight's game expected any minute by Amazon drone, it's about to do one more.

Now For the Furniture Shopping

         Ok so perhaps there is some slight hyperbole in this anecdote but it doesn't mean Amazon and like-minded enterprises aren't considering the possibilities. Take for instance Amazon's octocopter featured in the video above: it would be used to deliver packages to customers in 30 minutes or less. The Amazon Prime Air service is not yet available because there is no regulation for drones; however, the FAA is working on the necessary rules to start using drones commercially and the FAA could publish the first rules by the end of 2015.

Do I Still Have To Tip?

         Not only Amazon is developing drone services, even pizza companies, small breweries, bookstores, and social development companies are exploring the option. In one particularly altruistic example, one non-profit may use drones to bring medicine and critical supplies to remote places or isolated towns immediately after a natural disaster. In 2013, a UVA of this kind costed $3,000, and was capable of carrying around 2 kilograms over a distance of ten kilometers in 15 minutes while costing only 24 cents for the transportation of the supplies! They are very steady and resist strong winds and hot climates, so imagine the great impact these drones could have if organizations are able to scale this! If you want to know more about this project you can take a look here.

Why Do We Always Seem To Migrate Towards Wal-Mart These Days?

         In military procedures, the most commonly used drone is the Predator UAV, which was created with the intention of performing combat operations reducing the risk to human personnel and resources. Predators currently can carry up to 200 kilograms and can fly for up to 24 hours without assistance, and these figures are evolving quite rapidly. Drone pilots are able to recognize enemy forces and combat in the fiercest of battles without stepping foot outside of a building: suddenly, we see a use for those Call of Duty extraordinaires. Even if our COD pilots run out for a Mountain Dew refuel and find their drones out of commission, they can be quickly replaced at a much lower price than your average fighter jet. In addition to combat uses, drones are also used for reconnaissance such as photographing enemy positions, which enables the commanders to make faster and more dynamic decisions than ever before.

Protecting Against Enemies, Both Foreign and Domestic...

         Although met with widespread criticism, drones are highly useful and could be used in a variety of industries. In China, they’re even being put to use as agents of pollution reformers as they can cover as much as 70 square kilometers an hour to view the output of factories outside the cities (read more here). Perhaps with widespread usage, these flying vehicles could become pesky or downright oppressive, but with the right balance of usage and proper governmental restraint, they could just be the catalyst for an era of change and progress. Or not:

It’s A Drone, You Idiot