Energy Production Could Be Made Safer Through Drone Use

The recent technological improvements that have been made in the production of drone operated aircraft have proven to be a major breakthrough in surveillance and military operations. Using drones to enhance the security of homes and businesses has become standard practice in many areas of the world. While the use and regulation of drones has been the cause of some controversy, the prevalence of remote controlled technology has advanced in recent years without serious opposition.

Industrial Application For Drone Technology

Major energy corporations, such as Sentry Energy Production among many others, have recently begun testing the use of remote controlled drones for a variety of applications. One of the major arguments for the use of drones has been the increase in safety that this technology could bring with it. For example, drones could be flown into an emergency area to check the status of the developing problem, thus saving human workers from serious risks.

Drones can also be used to perform other tasks that are irksome or dangerous for human workers, such as checking the inside of pipes and smoke stacks for wear, tear, or leaks. Such tasks are arguably best performed by remote control operated drones, rather than human workers, because these drones can be fitted with cameras and flown to heights - or lowered down to depths - that are not safe for human workers to attempt to navigate.

Human Resource Issues Concerning Drone Technology

In addition to the many technical issues posed by the coming prevalence of drone technology in industrial environments, there is also a growing unease and concern in some quarters regarding the potential effect the use of drones may have on the human work force that the industry currently employs. Some sources in the media are speculating, with various degrees of accuracy, upon the likelihood of a mass replacement of human workers by drones.

It is true that the introduction of drone technology on a mass scale would certainly have a major impact on all sectors of employment and industry. However, it is simply too early, and thus more than a little irresponsible, to make definitive prognostications regarding any proposed mass replacement of the work force by drone technology or any other new form of automation. Such prophecies of doom merely obscure the matter, rather than shedding any new light upon it.

Drone Technology Is Likely To Be A Major Part Of Industry

When all is said and done, it certainly remains the case that the application of remote controlled drone technology is likely to form a major component of the energy producing industry, and sooner rather than later. While the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has yet to make a definitive ruling on the use of drones in industrial environments in the United States, the use of such technology is already becoming more familiar in other parts of the world. It is, therefore, most likely only a matter of time before our own country follows suit in this regard.