Mind if I drone on for a bit?

"Our skies are about to get very cluttered. The battlefield is about to change."

Reading some of the tech blogs, one of the bigger changes we will see as we enter the 2020 decade will be the proliferation of drones. As the expression goes, "We ain't seen nuttin' yet!" Our skies are about to get very cluttered. The battlefield is about to change. Actually, drones are going to be a big instrument in our upcoming changes. Really big.

Let's be honest first. Currently, many have drones just to be a toy - a play thing. Sure, some drones will still be used for that in the future (great way to take selfies from much different angles!), but the new drones will be used for many other purposes as well.

Actually, both Dubai and Japan (Ehang 184) have prototype drones to be used for air taxis right now. The plan is to have drones versatile and powerful enough to be people movers. To fly just high enough to be out of the traffic steam. Just think for a minute what that type of technology would do for rush hour in cities like Minneapolis. A city which has eschewed the use of cars to such a degree, getting around town in a car is just about impossible. A drone taxi could really fit the bill nicely in that case.

One of the biggest opportunities for drones in the future is security. "Eyes in the sky" to watch over personal or commercial property. With the advent of 5g, data captured by a drone can be instantly relayed to law enforcement and/or the property owner. The down side? Oh, there is a huge downside. With more "eyes in the sky", kiss your privacy good-bye.

As much as the military use drones today, it is expected in the near future there will be more - many more. As the technology gets quieter and lighter, their applications will increase. The tag line is, "Any time a drone can be used instead of risking an American life, we will use it.". As much as our civilian landscape will change, the battlefield will change more.

Exciting days may lie ahead with this drone technology. Or, it could be the gate to Big Brother. In any event, it is coming, and coming fast. Where were these air taxis when I was working and stuck in gridlock???