Drone-in-a-box also known as autonomous drone or docked drone system is probably the most prominent upcoming trend in the drone industry. But what is all the hype about, and why should you care?
If you are interested in UAVs, chances are you will have read about drone-in-a-box. And most likely, you will have encountered more and more content on the topic lately. But what is all the fuzz about? Why should you care? In this post, we will be talking about precisely that. And we will give you five reasons why drone-in-a-box is a real game changer.
1) Flies whenever you need it to
A drone-in-a-box (DIB) system is installed permanently in one location and always online. That means that it is always online and ready for a mission. The autonomous drone can lift off whenever needed, whether it is ten in the morning or two at night. The 24/7 availability gives the system a real advantage over any other setup.
2) Is always on schedule
With software such as DroneDeploy, autonomous drone-in-the-box systems can be put on a schedule. That means that you can program the system so that the drone fly the same route at precisely the same time in a predefined interval. E.g., you could tell your system to send out the autonomous drone every Tuesday at 4 pm to check the premises for any damages or changes. That way, the data you receive is comparable, and differences can easily be spotted.
3) Frees up resources
A drone always requires a drone pilot. Even with a drone-in-a-box, this is the case for most missions. However, there is a big difference. Since the drone can be operated remotely, there is no need to prepare the mission thoroughly. After all, the system is installed in the location it needs to be, and the pilot can take control right away. No need to choose the equipment first and pack it up. The autonomous drone is charged and ready to go. This allows drone pilots to spend the rest of their time on other projects.
4) Saves travel time and costs
Traveling to a location is probably one of the most time-consuming tasks a drone pilot can have. However, with a drone-in-a-box, there is no need to travel. The drone is already at the location where it is needed. It can lift off within minutes. This saves time until the mission can be executed and potentially even expensive travel costs like flights, train or car travel, and hotel accommodation for the pilot.
5) Knows when it is safe to lift off
Many drone-in-a-box systems, like the DJI Dock, have a small weather station. They know precisely what kind of conditions are awaiting the drone. The Dock, e.g., has a rain and a wind sensor alongside a camera. So it knows to access if the conditions are suitable for the drone. If the weather does not allow it, the drone won’t start. This can jeopardize your schedule, but it might save you considerable sums in possible damages to the UAV.
To summarize, there are a lot of exciting features and benefits the new systems enable. And more and more fully autonomous drone-in-a-box products are coming to the market. The most prominent is certainly DJI’s dock, which Drone-Rental will also use for our soon-to-be-launched Docked Drone Operations. Make sure to leave us your email address to stay updated on when remote drone flying will be possible on this site.
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