Drones are evolving from the past few years at a very rapid phase. It was started for fun and enjoyment and evolved for video captures and surveillance. New Drones are added with AI to increase its computational power efficiency. Drones find its application in the following areas:

Precision Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the first sectors where AI drones can be used. It can be used for inspection of crops and for surveillance in order to save it from rodents and other insects which are harmful to crops. Drones can also be used for spreading insecticides and fertilizers which are required for proper growth of crops.

Infrastructure Inspection

Another major use of drones is in Infrastructure inspection. Manpower can also be used for this but can be more time consuming. Use of drones can greatly reduce the time.

Search and Rescue Operations

Drones can help in search and rescue operations in floods and earthquakes. Drones can monitor the situation and can help in surveillance and finding the casualties. Drone can also help in finding a safe place during natural calamities.

Delivery Services

Online marketing can now use delivery services. Online food and grocery delivery requires very fast services and drones can really help in this regard.

Environmental monitoring

Drones can be used for environmental monitoring like forest fires and evaluating climate change. Drones can inspect any area during fire which can later be used to shut down.  Drones can also be used for smoke detection and air quality inspection. 

Security and Surveillance

Drones can be used in border areas for inspection to find any intruders. It can enhance and provide more accurate data for security.

Mining and Exploration

Mines are deep. Instead of human manual inspection which can be risky and life threatening, drones can easily solve this problem.

Military and Defence

Drones can have high usage in military and defense. In military drones can provide quick and accurate data during any surveillance. Swarm drones can coordinate and work together to execute any difficult operation.

Drones can be used for object detection and tracking. Drones use cameras and lenses and can detect humans, cars or any moving object. By using the camera’s zoom feature it can focus on the human face for any face detection. It can be utilized for object detection based on heat or temperature of the object using thermal sensors. Through this it can also track in dark and night time. Drones can help in fire and smoke detection using thermal sensors  in a forest or in any different landscape. 

AI enhances the autonomy, intelligence and decision making abilities of drones. Modern Drone technologies and artificial Intelligence plays a key role in the drone’s future.  AI drone technology uses computer vision and neural networks. AI drones will enhance aerial inspection of farm land and also for environmental monitoring. AI drones will find its utility in advanced 3D mapping, solar panel inspection and forest mapping. Smart Cities will make the use of AI drones and the Internet of things together for connection of devices.

Working of an AI drones:

We have now found drone usage. With its usage now we can go for how AI drones are working. These drones uses  AI and computer vision algorithms that can help in Object detection and tracking. It analyzes its sensor data to identify obstacles and to help in navigation safely. Machine learning techniques can be used to improve performance based on experience and feedback. 

AI work process in drone technology, This is the workflow for AI in drone technology 

Perception and sensor fusion -> Computer vision and Object detection-> Autonomous navigation and path planning -> Decision making and control -> Swarm Intelligence -> Machine learning and model training -> Edge computing and real time processing

Drones include cameras and sensors like infrared detectors, Lidar and radar. AI algorithms combine and interpret data from these sensors enabling drones to comprehend the surroundings, detect objects and identify obstacles.  

Drones with AI capabilities use neural networks and computer vision, helping to identify objects in real time. With the integration of algorithms, sensor data and mapping information drones can navigate through complex environments. Drones are capable of making decisions for an optimal flight path and avoidance of obstacles. Drones work together in a group using swarm technology to perform specific tasks. In swarm technology drones communicate with each other and share information to finish any task in very less amount of time. Machine learning helps to gather details from images and videos.

Implementation of AI in drones is done through their specific use case requirements like object detection, navigation and path planning, and data analysis. AI can be modeled according to their operational requirements, environmental conditions and any other constraints. In order for a proper implementation of AI there is need for data. The data should be of high quality and should reflect real life situations. AI structure is trained using the data taken from sensors and images. After getting a particular work scenario there is a need for a selection of a particular AI model and a particular method.

Different types of AI models include convolutional Neural Network, reinforcement learning and machine learning models. Training of appropriate models is required and after that validation is required for accuracy, reliability and applicability across various scenarios so that they meet the specific requirements. 

Drone hardware integration is required with sensors, cameras and flight control and it is ensured that everything works smoothly. Drones can operate directly or by using an internet cloud. AI models and drone hardware have certain limitations however if it is done through cloud computing, it is much faster and has greater computational strength. Testing and simulation is required in controlled conditions to check any issue or possible technical problems. Constant checkup, feedback and update is required to improve its performance.  

AI drones and Future

There can be a perfect collaboration between Human and AI drones, where both can work together in  synchronization to execute a particular task. Humans can use his mental skills and drones can utilize their AI power for instant decisions making. 

AI drones can have cross domain applicability. A single AI drone can work for space exploration or in underwater operation or for a search and rescue operation. 

AI and 5G integration can speed up real time processing with decision making. Advanced sensor fusion can combine the output from various sensors like Camera, Infrared and LiDAR to give required output. A multimodal AI can be used to work in dynamic settings and for an unmatched decision making process.