As the UAV / drone industry develops; there is a distinct bifurcation underway that has specific consequences for the way our industry develops. This is not unexpected; industries thrive when separate niches are discovered, each with its own strategy for commercial success.
However, you have to wonder if the term “drone” is not helping understanding of this quite normal industrial evolutions. “Drone” suggests a repeated and continuous, low-complexity, mission. (In literal terms of course it refers to a continuous humming sound.)
In reality, such mission profiles are going to become less common as UAVs get smarter. The platform may well emit a continuous sound while on station; but it may be carrying a high resolution multi-spectral camera, some data processing intelligence for situational analysis and a fast downlink to stream interpreted data back to a mission ground controller who is adapting ground task management on the basis of that data feed.
This is a long way from a “drone” repeating a pre-coded point A to point B transit route to deliver, say, loose tea from a plantation to a bagging factory along an aerial conveyor belt.
To me, that leads to a better nomenclature that adopts a specific distinction between an unmanned aerial drone (UAD) and an unmanned aerial system (UAS). Importantly for the development of the sector, the business models of UADs will be quite different from UASs.
A UAD model will involve multiple high frequency tightly-controlled missions. The value added of those will be relatively low, but the costs of system control are (hopefully) low. Delivering bloods and bandages, documents and diapers in time of near immediate need is the arena here.
As such UAD systems are likely to be limited low cost mission providers; platform tech will have to be correspondingly simple; aerial autonomy is likely to be minimal with strong ground control being used instead. The cost of down-time due to non-serviceability of the aerial platform will be low.
A UAS model will involve pre-flight analysis, or be based on event pre-analysis preparations – as in media uses and emergency service support. It will have to offer immediate added value – required by the commissioning user with speed and instantaneity of data. What economists call the opportunity cost of not providing the task will tend to be high.
As such UAS systems will need to be supported and serviced to allow for high availability; within a flexible mission delivery process. These system overheads mean providers will have to ask for high per mission prices – on the basis of the high value provided.
Throwing such highly disparate uses of “drones” into one box does not help our industry develop. It’s always a good idea to sell a product or service in a way that the product, its price and the way it is delivered is integrated well.
We need to improve on the terms we use to describe our offer – after all, it’s that description that thrills our customers with what we can do for them. As suppliers we need to discover what adds real value, and through what mission profile and opportunity cost.
In the end, it is only that desire and the purchase order action that follows that will make our industry continue its beneficial development. Early adopters will be re-investing profits for many years before the brands, sub-sectors and customer expectations are discovered that match prices and service. But once discovered there are undoubtedly strong revenue streams for the risk-takers who design the right platform. Sky Hopper intends to find those revenue streams. Have you considered investing in us?