For some, drones are nothing but a punch lineAmazons next attempt at replacing humans in their day-to-day operations, or a device that crashes at the drop of the hat. To others, theyre a sign of an uneasy futurea future theyre not comfortable with. Despite these misgivings, there are a lot of exciting uses for drones, and theyre earning a spot in our world. Mapping is something we all take for granted, but it takes a lot of work to keep those maps up-to-date and secure. It can be extremely frustrating when theyre not. The big playersGoogle and Applestill use trucks to provide map databut that might be changing in the future.
Bring in the Drones
Apple has had a hard time competing with Googles dominance in the mapping space, but it may have found the answer: drones. The company has already gotten approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to move forward with the plan, though drone laws are always evolving, and may not fall in Apples favor. The drones may not be coming right away, but its an option that will help Apple compete with Googles massively popular Maps application. The drones, in addition to the other features the company is building into their mapping platform, may help them win back some iOS users.
Benefits of (Near) Real-Time Mapping
The benefits of updates that are nearer to real time are obvious: more accurate maps that make travel more efficient. But the drones would be able to do more, giving live traffic and construction updates and providing better data for rural areas, even able to locate endangered animals and victims of natural disasters who may need medical attention. For now, drones face restrictions on flying over people and buildings, a major challenge for Apple to overcome. However, with the valuable data these devices would be able to collect, it may be worth the restrictions.
Will Consumers Be Comfortable with Drone Use?
One of the challenges facing drone use for any purpose has been public opinion. As a whole, were just not quite on board with drone use for everyday tasks. Many cite worries about privacy and potential spying, especially if drones are hacked. The good news? Public opinion of drones seems to depend on the task. A new study showed that while the design of the drone didnt affect public opinion of various drones, their intended purpose did. 87% of study participants showed support for drone use in geologic/climatic mapping and 71% were for traffic monitoring. Support slipped for uses like crime monitoring (48%) and delivery services (42%), showing that theres still some discomfort with drones, but only under certain conditions. For mapping, Apple shouldnt have any problems with customer disapproval.
The Future of Map Accuracy
Google and Apple arent about to give up the fight for dominance anytime soon. Apple, in addition to experimenting with drones, is working on an indoor mapping feature to help users navigate large buildings. Due to the competition over users, the two companies are being pushed to explore the future of mapping technologya win for everyone who uses these mapping platforms. As drones become more sophisticated, its very possible that accurate mapping will depend on themand so will we.
