Table of Contents
Overview 2
Catalyst 2
Summary 2
Expanding infrastructure role of drones hints at lucrative future 6
Autonomous drones are nearing commercial reality, potentially transforming industry 6
Arrival of drones threatens to radically change how infrastructure is delivered 7
Advances in software are expanding drone capabilities, enhancing usage 9
Early dominance of DJI could be storing up problems for future software development 9
DJI dominance will be hard to overcome due to build-up of consumer confidence 10
Software improvements are propelling capability improvements 10
Regulatory environment is crucial for future use of drones 12
Regulations must enable companies and organizations to realize cost savings drones provide 12
Drones offer hefty savings on infrastructure maintenance 13
Rules governing drones must not restrict industrial application 13
Rules are restricting development of drone delivery services 14
Agriculture can gain handsomely from drones, but some doubts have surfaced 15
Tracking abilities of drones are set to make farming much more precise 15
Problems with current generation drones have emerged, setting back widespread acceptance 16
Hardware development is expanding the role of drones in agriculture 16
Construction industry making efficiency strides via drone investment 18
Real time aerial inspection presents significant cost and efficiency savings for an industry operating on slim margins 18
Stockpile observation performed by unmanned aerial vehicles will soon become commonplace 19
Better data gathering is speeding up communication on construction sites 19
Conclusions 20
Drones are advancing rapidly in commercial relevance as technology develops 20
Appendix 21
Sources 21
Further Reading 21
Ask the analyst 22
About MarketLine 22
Disclaimer 22