Innovation - World in Progress - What will the skies of tomorrow look like? That's the question posed by the development of the unmanned aircraft known as drones. For some years now, their use has no longer been reserved solely for security and military purposes, and the burgeoning civil market is opening up many opportunities.

Initially adopted by the military for surveillance and strike missions in war zones, drones are now finding new civilian applications, such as pollution control and infrastructure monitoring. Amazon, the leading online retailer, has created something of a stir by revealing its vision of the future as delivery by mini-drone. Aerospace industry giant Thales has created the AETOS «Drone Services and Systems» cluster of around forty companies in drone-related technologies and services to define a collective industrial strategy in order to bid for civil contracts in this market.                                        

AETOS cluster coordinator and Regional Development Director for Thalès in Aquitaine Trang Pham: «Drones offer new decision-support resources for many different types of business. A drone is able to complement data already available from satellites, helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft by adding a new level of frequent availability, accuracy and lower cost. […] By installing gas sensors, for example, drones can be used to detect pollution or toxic gases. It's clear that we don't yet know where these developments may lead».

Despite restrictions on the use of airspace, the civil drone revolution is definitely underway with a technology that advances daily. Estimated at several billion dollars, the global civil market is attracting the biggest names in the digital world: Google and Facebook have both recently announced the acquisition of drone manufacturers as part of plans to bring Internet access to 5 million people who currently have no access at all.

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