There are several different definitions for drones, so the numbers may vary, but Business Insider Intelligence projects drone sales of more than USD 12 billion in 2021 for military, personal and commercial use.

Commercial applications for drones are especially on the rise with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19 percent from 2015 to 2020, and The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International estimates commercial drones will be worth USD 82 billion by 2025.

New ways of incorporating drones into the workforce are popping up everywhere, such as for marketing, expedient delivery and information gathering. In heavy industries like steel manufacturing, drones are playing an increasingly important role in workplace safety. When paired with AI, drones have even more possibilities for minimizing workplace hazards.

Accident Prevention

An accident in a heavy industry worksite can be disastrous for workers, the company as well as the environment. That’s why it’s important for factories to be able to monitor and prevent potential dangers before they happen, and it’s one of the most widely applied areas for drones.

Audi’s factory uses drones for automated parts transportation. (Source: Audi)

For example, steelmaker POSCO is incorporating drones into its smart factory to monitor gas leaks that are hard to detect. Workers also wear smart sensors that alert them of potential danger, and let others know their location in the factory.

SEE ALSO: How Factories Produce Steel – the Smart Way

Keeping Humans Out of Dangerous Industrial Areas

Besides monitoring the workplace, drones can be of practical use and take on dangerous and costly tasks formerly done by people. This includes accessing dangerous places. For example, drones can take aerial job site survey photos, eliminating the need for a pilot, helicopter and other employees. Construction companies are using drone mapping to create 3D models of their projects, saving time and resources along the way.

Drones can keep workers out of dangerous workplaces. (Source: Fortune)

The mining industry also uses drones to enter hazardous areas to gather information before sending in workers. Smart drones, or drones equipped with AI software, can provide and process information in real time, saving companies major costs.  

Accident Investigation

Even with drones, not all accidents are preventable. Once an accident occurs it’s vital to have accurate data that tells exactly how the event played out. Drones are a useful forensic tool to recall events and diagnose the situation. With this information, companies can not only fix equipment and operational failures, they can use the data for legal matters regarding insurance claims, court fees and compensation litigation.

Workers can use drones to access stored information. (Source: The Economist)

Due to the increasing adoption of drones in the workplace and the vital role they play in worker safety, the commercial drone market is looking to expand. With increased investment, drones are being upgraded from its structure to the software that goes in them.

What Drones are Made of

Drones are largely composed of a frame, motor, camera, propeller, sensor, controller and battery. The frame serves as the base of the drone to which various parts mounted. Therefore, the frame of the drone has to be light yet durable, in order to maintain its structural integrity and minimize battery consumption.

Most drones are powered by an electric battery. On longer flights and in harsh weather conditions, the motor gets overworked, putting a toll on the battery. Engineers are constantly working to improve the capacity of the battery, which usually results in a bigger, heavier battery pack.

The DJI Phantom 4 is an example of a drone with a magnesium body for weight reduction and added strength. (Source: Petapixel)

In order to make up for the added weight and volume, manufacturers are turning to light and strong materials such as magnesium, the lightest commercial metal available. Magnesium alloys are lighter than aluminum alloys and are widely used in smartphones, tablet PCs and automotive and aircraft parts. Magnesium alloys have high thermal conductivity and excellent heat dissipation. It also has high strength and durability against impact. Moreover, it is corrosion-resistant and cost-effective, making it an ideal material for drones.

The market for drones will be an exciting one to watch going into 2018 due to friendlier regulations, significant investments and drones’ unlimited potential for application. It will result in more industries actively incorporating drones into their operations, and the world can expect the launch of more technologically and structurally innovative drones that will play an increasingly vital role in workplaces.

Cover photo courtesy of Wired.

SEE ALSO: Ask an Expert: Electric Vehicles and the Future of the Automotive Market

However, implementing autonomous transportation systems is no easy task, from perfecting the technology to sorting out legal matters. Take a look at these 6 early-adapting cities around the world that have embarked on the road to driverless transportation systems.

Singapore

Last year, the city-state became the first in the world to launch an automated taxi service. While many companies such as Uber have been testing driverless taxi systems, no one has launched a working model yet. Singapore’s autonomous taxi service launched by nuTonomy only has six cars, but the company has plans to have a full fleet of driverless taxis on Singapore roads by 2018. For now, the fleet consists of modified Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electrics that have an emergency driver at the wheel and researchers who ride in the back to gather data. The service is expected to drastically reduce the number of vehicles on Singapore’s congested roads.

Singapore is the first city in the world to have a running autonomous taxi service. (Source: Auto Evolution)

Los Angeles

After much delay, city officials finally made it legal to test driverless vehicles in L.A. this year, and by 2020, the city could have fully autonomous vehicles operating on its roads. So far, 43 companies such as General Motors, Apple and Uber have testing permits in California, which means that a driver must be at the wheel, prepared to take over in case of an emergency. The Department of Motor Vehicles will finalize the rules and regulations surrounding autonomous vehicle testing in 2018. Autonomous transportation is a sector that will continue to generate much investment, and L.A. was already losing business to other cities in the U.S. due to its regulatory restrictions. With the new guidelines in place, the city can expect to be bustling with startup activity and innovative solutions to its transportation challenges.

For now, L.A. law requires drivers at the wheel of every autonomous vehicle. (Source: Los Angeles Times)

Munich

Germany is home to the most advanced automakers in the world, and in August 2017, German lawmakers drew up the guidelines for operating autonomous vehicles. Under the new guidelines, all autonomous vehicle software must be programmed in such a way that human life will be protected at any cost, over animals and property. Germany’s Transportation Ministry is the first in the world to draw up such guidelines for automated driving, and wide-implementation of autonomous transportation is expected to follow, starting with Munich.

Munich Airport now provides autonomous shuttle services between Terminal 2 and a satellite facility. (Source: Bombardier)

Recently, Munich Airport launched an autonomous shuttle service that links Terminal 2 to a new infield satellite facility with an underground train. The trains are called INNOVIA Automated People Mover (APM) 300 and were built by Bombardier. The train tunnel is 382 meters and will have the capacity to move 10,900 passengers every hour in either direction.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas is another early-adapting city with plans to have autonomous transportation up and running throughout the entire city. However, the city’s first attempt at automated transportation ended badly when their automated shuttle bus collided with a semi-truck less than 2 hours after its debut. The cause of the accident was a delivery truck that backed into the bus. The shuttle was equipped with LiDAR sensors to map the roads. It was also fitted with cameras to identify obstacles on its path, and GPS locators for operators to locate the shuttle’s location. Despite the advanced systems, the city learned the hard way it cannot control what others do on the roads.

The truck hit the autonomous bus that didn’t have the ability to reverse. (Source: MBTMag)

China’s Zhuzhou City

Many good things are happening in China in terms of autonomous transportation. Recently in Zhuzhou, an autonomous, caterpillar-like bus was spotted. The Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART), was developed by CCRC, a Beijing-based company that deals with the supply of rail transit equipment. It moves along Zhuzhou roads via sensors and can travel up to 70km per hour on its electric batteries and is expected to cut carbon emissions and ease traffic congestion.

The ART looks like a cross between a bus and a train and glides through the city using sensors. (Source: Curbed)

London

In September, the UK’s first driverless bus was tested in London’s Olympic Park. Interestingly, residents, visitors and tourists were invited to take part in the test runs throughout the month of September, free of charge. Like other autonomous buses, this electric bus navigates the roads via sensors, cameras and GPS maps. So far, the tests have been successful and the city hopes to implement the buses throughout the city in the near future. Take a look at some of the initial reactions.

Going into 2018, companies such as Uber, General Motors and BMW are expected to continue investing in autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing services. As more and more cities fine-tune their regulations and guidelines surrounding such modes of transportation, the world should see driverless transportation options pop up in more places, with fewer errors, providing more sustainable transportation systems.

Cover photo courtesy of Business Insider. 

Why Should People Care About Autonomous Transportation?

Autonomous transportation is emerging across the world, from personal vehicles to Tesla’s proposed semi trucks that drive in convoy with a lead vehicle handling autonomous follow trucks. Intel is also planning to test a fleet of one hundred autonomous cars and Hyundai’s planning to showcase its self-driving technology at the biggest winter sports event of 2018.

While many have heard of self-driving cars and other road-based vehicles, it may come as a surprise to learn just how far technology has advanced in autonomous transportation. The Swiss bank UBS, suggests that autonomous airplanes could be in place by 2025, a feat that would save airlines $35 billion a year. Clearly, the benefits are drastic and it is becoming essential for companies to invest in making autonomous travel work.

Even further into the future, companies like Next Future Transportation are envisioning pod travel, through which individual vehicles will autonomously transport people from point A to point B.

Next Future Transportation’s autonomous pod (Source: Next Future Transportation)

No matter the type, the economic impact of autonomous transportation technology is unavoidable. Boston Consulting Group expects that the driverless car market will be worth $42 billion by 2025 and $77 billion by 2035, and IHS suggests driverless car ubiquity will hit around 2050.

In terms of what these automated vehicles offer to the public, the Eno Centre for Transportation reports that if 90 percent of American roads were autonomous, accidents would drop from 6 million a year to 1.3 million; deaths would fall from 33,000 to 11,300. Add in better traffic conditions, higher fuel efficiency and extra time gained from not driving, and it’s easy to see why companies are taking notice of this tech sector.

Who is Investing in Autonomous Transportation?
Autonomous transportation entails investment from various industries from materials to technology, and major players are making early moves. Tesla is a good example of a specialty vehicle company determined to see autonomous transportation become a worldwide reality.

Big names in traditional transportation are also jumping aboard. General Motors purchased Cruise Automation, and Ford has invested in an AI startup, Argo AI. Audi has created a subsidiary, the SDS Company, focused on self-driving technology, and BMW has formed an alliance with Intel and Mobileye.

There are also auto suppliers getting into this market, such as Magna, a supplier that is manufacturing vehicles as well as providing the parts to help more traditional companies jump into automated vehicles.

Tech giants like Microsoft are getting involved, too, collaborating with automakers to include their own technology in self-driving vehicles, as well as to research and develop automated transportation technology.

Whether companies are involved in creating the actual vehicles that will be automated, providing security and safety features, pursuing further research, or providing the materials needed to create these vehicles of the future, it is safe to say that this industry is growing rapidly.

Autonomous Transportation and the Steel Industry
A shift toward autonomous transportation is good news for the steel industry. At first glance, it seems steel consumption will decrease as fewer car accidents will lead to less demand for repair parts and more room to use other materials for aesthetic purposes. However, demand for high-strength, premium steels that are highly sought after in traditional cars will continue to increase.

Materials like POSCO GIGA STEEL provide greater strength and safety for automated vehicles, an important consideration when one considers a road full of cars driving themselves. While people may no longer be behind the wheel, they will want to know that their cars, and the cars around them, are made to the highest safety standards. Safety regulations for traditional cars are only getting tougher, and that won’t change with autonomous vehicles.

POSCO’s PBC-EV made with POSCO GIGA STEEL

High-strength steel allows car makers to lightweight their vehicles without compromising safety. POSCO GIGA STEEL’s lightweight properties make it a sustainable solution for automated vehicles that aim to leave a minimal carbon footprint and maximize fuel efficiency. Even better, it is affordable; an important factor considering the overall cost of the technology and hardware that goes into automated vehicles.

The steel industry will also see a boost in the need for accompanying facilities for automated transportation, including manufacturing plants, parking structures, charging stations, smart roads and so on. While automated transportation may be high tech, there will be plenty of opportunities for those in the steel industry to provide material solutions to a rapidly growing market.

Cover photo courtesy of Auto Evolution.