The drone market is growing so rapidly that it is projected to be a $11.5 billion industry by 2020. Since 2013, there has been a 167% increase in global sales of drones.
People are using and gaining benefit from drones in the most unexpected ways. Drone are not only awesome for consumer use, but are also helping industries like film production, environmental monitoring, technology, media, disaster management, fire fighting, aerial mapping, humanitarian aid, and business.
A prime example of the use of drones for business comes from Amazon Prime Air. Amazon is producing a fleet of drones to deliver packages to doorsteps in less than 30 minutes. Amazon states that the drones will be able to fly for 15 miles and will use technologies that will allow the drones to scan for potential hazards to ensure a safe flight. Amazon released a video explaining the concept of Amazon Prime Air.
Another example of drone usage comes from the Vancouver Aquarium, who released a video about drones documenting killer whales for a study. This study was conducted to monitor the health of a pod of killer whales. The result of the drones was the discovery of several pregnancies within the pod, as well as some amazing photography and video footage.
Drone Fair 2016
Many BCIT students have seen the advertisements around the school for Drone Fair 2016. This Saturday, BCIT, DJI, and Flying Cameras are hosting a Drone Fair that will be held in SE16 from 11:00AM – 6:30PM. The Drone Fair is the first fair of its kind in Western Canada.
The exhibition features keynote speakers, such as James Reddicopp who is the Founder/CEO – Flying Cameras Inc, Rodger Williams who is the President of MAAC, and many more. One interesting topic that will be covered at the exhibition is the evolution of drones in the film and TV industry. The speaker for this topic is Justin Hannewyk who is the Owner/Operator – Heli Video Pros. Hannewyk owns a drone store in Vancouver that specializes in producing videos for companies using drones.
The event will also have the latest drone equipment and technology, a skill testing university challenge where four British Columbian universities will compete for a scholarship prize, and fly zones for people to try out their flying skills.
Many leaders in innovation are partners in this exhibition including Flying Cameras, 3DR, Aerobotika, The Sky Guys, and more. For a full list of partners and to learn more about this event, click here.
