Drones may be best known as increasingly popular toys, but they can also be pretty helpful, it turns out.
Tel Aviv-based drone maker Airobotics is intent on demonstrating just that, and has created a fully autonomous drone that can fly and maintain itself without the need for human intervention.
The company’s new patrol system is aimed at helping employees at “the world’s most complex industrial environments” carry out difficult tasks such as inspections, surveying, and mapping.
You can see the drone emerge ominously from its ‘Airbase’ below:
Related: Flying a drone – Everything you need to know
As the video shows, the entire system is made up of three parts: the ‘Airbase’, an Optimus drone, and command software.
The drone itself can carry 1kg for up to 30 minutes and can be pre-programmed to follow specific flight paths.
It will also return to its base station once it finishes its patrol, where its battery and payload will automatically be replaced.
It’s all very impressive, and will certainly make certain tasks much easier and safer. But we can’t help but envisage these drones being deployed as minions once the AI revolution hits and Skynet becomes self-aware.
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What do you think of Airobotics’ new patrol drone? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
