In recent years, drone technology has become one of the most rapidly growing and popular technologies. Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are equipped with features such as remote control, semi-autonomous operation, high maneuverability, and environmentally friendly designs, which have attracted significant attention from businesses. According to data provided by the UK Drone Monitoring Company Skykam, the global drone market is expected to exceed $43.35 billion by 2025.

So, how do drones work, and in what fields are they being utilized? Furthermore, what benefits do they offer to various sectors? Let's explore.

A drone is a compact unmanned aerial vehicle that doesn't require a human pilot on board. Its propulsion system consists of motors and rotors. Using the software, drones can be maneuvered through radio frequencies or programmed to follow a predetermined flight path. Due to their construction from lightweight composite materials, they have a low overall weight, allowing them to achieve high speeds and fly to great heights.

Despite their military origins, drones have now become prevalent in various industries such as energy, agriculture, construction, and logistics. These unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with high-end cameras capable of taking exceptional photos and videos, and their sophisticated battery systems allow them to fly for extended periods. Furthermore, drones utilize GPS and other sensors to carry out precise mapping operations accurately.

Drone technology encompasses all technologies associated with developing, producing, monitoring, and utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles. With the introduction of high-resolution cameras, artificial intelligence, and intelligent sensors, drone technology is rapidly evolving. Nevertheless, the applications of drone technology vary depending on the industry. Let's explore some of these applications in more detail...

Agricultural Applications

By utilizing sensors, drones can detect potential issues in agricultural fields promptly. They can distinguish between agricultural diseases, harmful weeds, and the water requirements of plants. Drones can also carry pesticide spraying equipment and can survey hundreds of acres of land in a single flight. Consequently, we can assert that drones confer significant cost benefits to the industry.

Product Delivery

Drones are increasingly being used for delivery, which is the final stage of the supply chain. Investments in this area have increased significantly after the Covid-19 pandemic due to the growing importance of contactless delivery. The benefits of using drones for delivery are numerous. It requires lower operating costs than traditional methods, and since it is not affected by traffic or difficult terrain conditions, it can quickly and smoothly deliver packages to recipients. Additionally, it has a lower carbon footprint compared to land vehicles used for transportation. In summary, it is possible to consider drones as one of the delivery technologies of the future.

Urban Design and Construction

The use of drones in the construction and building industry is becoming more and more popular. This is primarily because it dramatically reduces the workload in the 3D modeling of construction sites. In addition, it provides high efficiency in many stages of the construction sector, from exploration to mapping, volume calculations, to infrastructure work. As drones continue to develop with GPS and sensors, using them in urban design is becoming inevitable.

Search and Rescue Operations

Search and rescue operations in natural disasters or emergencies often use drone technology, which can detect lost or injured individuals from the air thanks to thermal cameras and sensors mounted on drones.

Energy Operations

Using drones in various areas of the energy sector is increasingly common. The top priority is ensuring the safety and health of workers in energy facilities, which inherently involve numerous risks to both the environment and personnel. Early identification of potential hazards is critical. Equipment, production mechanisms, and even structures must be regularly inspected and reported on. Drone technology plays a vital role in this regard. It can detect and report wildfires, malfunctions, or any damage occurring on the ground, providing valuable data.

Using drones, it is possible to access remote areas in the oil and gas industry where human access is challenging. Corrosion, cracks, leaks, and spills occurring in structures such as storage tanks, pipelines, chimneys, and flares can be safely detected with drones equipped with different types of cameras, including thermal and RGB.

Businesses can benefit significantly from using drones for the inspection of power lines. When fault detection is performed manually, the entire power line must be shut down for safety reasons. However, drones can fly in close proximity to high-voltage power lines, allowing for easy detection of damaged sections without the need to cut off the electricity.

Drone technology is commonly utilized in the realm of renewable energy. Regular examination of wind turbine blades is necessary for wind farms, and drones can significantly expedite the detection of ice accumulation or blade damage. Drones can also be utilized for turbine maintenance and cleaning tasks. Using drones in the transition to renewable energy is imperative and will undoubtedly play a significant role.

At SOCAR Türkiye, we're closely monitoring the advancements in drone technology, and we've recently introduced the SmartXfly service within SOCAR Türkiye R&D and Innovation. SmartXfly makes it possible to reach remote, time-consuming, and critical-risk locations in industrial settings by utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to conduct necessary inspections and surveys. With the help of high-resolution RGB, lidar, and multispectral cameras, SmartXfly can perform various tasks, such as modeling and detailed air analysis, that are impossible to be detected by the human eye across different wavelengths in the facility area. Furthermore, by incorporating artificial intelligence modules, SmartXfly's UAVs can accurately identify faults with high precision throughout the service.

Drone technology has experienced substantial growth in recent years. We plan to broaden our investments in this field and capitalize on the opportunities presented by the technology to the fullest extent possible in the upcoming period.