Sony is working on a way to make that possible with a recently announced venture that offers drones for enterprise data services.
The well-known electronics manufacturer is teaming up with ZMP, a Japanese robotics and automation company, to provide a specialized data collection service under as a company called Aerosense.
The service works by using drones to collect various types of information, remotely. For companies that need measurement, surveying, observation, inspection or a similar service, they may soon be able to use Aerosense for it.
Data Collected By Drones
The company is set to launch next month and start serving customers in 2016. It’s projected that a number of industries could benefit from aerial drone data collection, including telecommunications, agriculture, energy, civil engineering, and other businesses.
Companies like VineRangers and AeroHarvest currently offer a similar service for agricultural companies seeking an efficient way to monitor crops.
Strictly Service Based
The Aerosense drones themselves, which are of the VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) variety, will use Sony robotics, cameras, and sensing technology, and the company’s telecommunications network, coupled with ZMP’s automated driving technology.
If you wanted to get your hands on your own version, you may be out of luck however, as the devices will not be available for sale to the public.
To Be Hindered By Typical Drone Downfalls?
Though the service could provide considerable value to many companies, there are still a number of ethical and safety questions concerning their use. Amazon and other companies seeking to use drones for package delivery have been hindered by restrictions set forth by the FAA and industry concerns over safety.
Is It Safe And Ethical?
In addition to potential interference with aircraft, there’s also the question of privacy and security. Could a company use these data collection drones to gather information on a competing company or on the public without their knowledge?
Would such activity be ethical and allowed by Aerosense? Perhaps this service could help keep the airways a little clearer, eliminating the need for individual companies with an interest to invest in and develop their own drones.
Would you find any benefit in using Aerosense for data acquisition?
What are your thoughts on such a capability used for this type of purpose?
Article Sources:
http://mashable.com
http://techcrunch.com
http://www.theverge.com
