Posted Mar 15, 2016
Drones. We have all probably heard and dreamt about unpiloted aircraft buzzing around since we were little kids. The evolution of technology excites me, its amazing changes, the rapid pace; some people might even say it moves too fast. Personally, I think the technology that improves safety can never come fast enough!
Drone Competition
I am fascinated by an Imperial London College's article about a drone competition in the UAE. 'The United Arab Emirates created a competition to find innovative technologies behind civilian drones and showcase how they can be turned into practical solutions for improving people’s daily lives.' The winners of this competition were Ph.D. student Talib Alhinani and Dr. Mirko Kovac, both from the Imperial College of London; they created a prototype drone that can spot pipeline leaks and fix them from the air. Alhinani and Kovac claim they will use their £190000 award to improve and develop the prototype in the near future.
High Consequence Areas
Financial loss, environmental pollution, and severe health issues represent just a few of the consequences caused by oil and chemical spills, representing a major hazard for the ecosystem and the high consequence areas surrounding oil-producing areas. Since 1985, the average net oil spill after cleanup is 31,500 barrels per year (More than 5,000,000 liters per year!).
While these first drones may not be yet capable of an APO standard repair, it is certain that these buzzing machines we dreamed of have arrived, ready to improve our daily lives in the most unexpected ways.