What Drones Are Really Good For

Drones can be a lot of fun and give us great visuals from an aerial point of view, but their most impactive use is for jobs that are difficult and dangerous. What we hear about most is their use in war, but while that's safer for the aggressor, it's still killing people. Check out what drones are doing for power grids, such as clearing ice from power lines. Temperatures in these conditions can make human work even more dangerous when fingers get stiff and helicopter motors fail. Drones are also used for inspection, line photography, and troubleshooting, and some can even recharge themselves on the electrical towers without returning to home base. The drones used for this kind of work are above your budget or your needs, but for infrastructure maintenance, they are not only cost-effective (compared to a pilot plus workers in a helicopter), and much safer than sending people to do certain jobs. -via Nag on the Lake