Aug 19 2015
As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) begins to evolve its drone flight regulations, albeit slowly, the technology driving the drone revolution forward is increasing at an accelerated rate.
In fact, the next generation of drone technology —Drone Video System (DVS) — is now available to professionals in every vertical market, from businesses, to governments and universities alike — and these DVS solutions promise to "change everything again," according to Kevin Kelly, President & COO of Stampede, North America’s largest distributor of drone-based systems and the company that introduced DVS solutions to world at InfoComm 2015.
"The last few decades have introduced game-changing technology that’s revolutionized the way we communicate and collaborate,” said Kelly. “We saw it first with email and mobile phones, and then again more recently with instant messaging, smartphones, and cloud-based sharing. Now, with the introduction of DVS solutions, we’re on the precipice of our next great communication revolution – and, like its predecessors, it’s going to change everything again.”
Although highly customizable based on individual requirements, the standard DVS solution integrates cutting-edge drone hardware, from leading manufacturers such as DJI, AEE, and XFLY, with an HD camera and video conferencing software to create a futuristic communication platform that provides a 360° HD aerial perspective of any situation, streamed instantaneously to any connected mobile device or computer – anywhere in the world.
“Gone are the days where critical information trickles by word-of-mouth through an organization, slowly degrading in value each passing minute, forcing your team to react to situations rather than respond,” stated Kelly. “With the advent of DVS, members of an organization, regardless of their physical location, can tap into live video feed – captured by the unique and previously unattainable perspective of a drone – and collaboratively assess a situation to make smarter decisions, faster and more cost-effectively than ever before.”
In addition to the drone hardware and video conferencing software, DVS solutions also include a suite of special services to help companies of any size establish their drone aviation department. “Internally, we’ve developed our Stampede sales force into a fleet of expert drone consultants while externally, we’ve formed strategic partnerships that help companies efficiently maneuver the regulations of commercial drone certification and help address any liability and privacy concerns in the process,” continued Kelly.
However, according to Kelly, to comprehend just how substantially DVS solutions will revolutionize commercial communication, one has to understand their breadth of application. And he has good reason to believe so, given an August 2015 AUVSI study which revealed that the first 500 commercial drone certifications granted by the FAA span more than 20 major industries across 48 states – including, but not limited to, real estate, aerial surveying, aerial photography, agriculture, and construction.*
“The numbers are exhilarating; they’re motivating; and they’re telling of just how huge of a commercial market and demand there is for drones and, specifically, DVS solutions,” stated Kelly. “From police and fire first responders, who can stream on-site aerial video of a situation to any mobile device or central command, ultimately streamlining the decision-making process, to agriculturists, who can send aerial video of seasonal crops to analysts across the country to forecast yields more accurately than ever before, to Fortune 1,000 companies, who can conduct infrastructure and surveillance operations and send that information to their corporate experts at HQ command and control, the breadth of DVS applications are proof of the size of its market.”
In fact, quantifying the size of the growing commercial drone market, recent 2015 studies estimate that over the next 5 years, drones will be used by 40% of all businesses and that by 2024, the commercial drone market will grow to represent 12% of the $98-billion total market.**
“Just like at its introduction, few expected the mobile phone to evolve into a $300+ billion industry – with sub-category products and services, such as smartphones, apps, and service providers, all generating billions a year in revenue – we find ourselves in the same position today, on the edge of the next multibillion-dollar wave of innovation,” said Kelly. “Through the advent of Stampede DVS solutions, the commercial communications platform of tomorrow has arrived today, and it's poised to change everything again.”