Drones

Top 10 drone innovations that caught our attention in 2022

Undefined Technologies' Silent Ventus drone uses an ion propulsion system to fly, instead of propellers
Undefined Technologies
Undefined Technologies' Silent Ventus drone uses an ion propulsion system to fly, instead of propellers
Undefined Technologies

The past year has been a big one for drones, both in terms of new models and new capabilities. Here's a list of our picks for the latter, including clever uses of drones and interesting developments in the technology.

Wow, so where to even start? Among the highlights of our list are an aerial drone that deploys an underwater drone, drones that cooperate like bees to build foam structures, and a ground-going tank-like drone that doubles as a quadcopter.

It's also worth noting that because we're limiting this list to 10 innovations, some of the ones that didn't quite make the cut are still pretty ingenious.

These include a drone that folds while in flight to pass through narrow spaces, a system for controlling drones via laser beams instead of radio signals, a "cyclorotor" drone that stays level in wind gusts, and even a rescue drone with edible wings.

So, with all that out of the way, here is our list.

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1 comment
vince
Although not a drone invention one invention Ivwould like to see is an emergency pet release door when a fire is detected in a home. This door is NOT used as a daily pet door buy only in the event a real fire rapid neighorhood fire is threarening to burn a home to the ground and kill pets. In Marshall a major fire killed 1,183 pets because homeowners could not make it past police or firemen to make it home and save their trapped pets. This device would be tied to emergnecy centers and only open when entire areas arw under the threat. A homeowner can train pet to know when door is unlocked and usable. Perhaps a dozen trials to teach them done by stimulating a fire and tripping a sound alarm that the pet then learns to recognize that tjey can use the door to escape heat. Shouldnt be too expensive perhaps a couple hundred dollars with a small monthly fee under $10 to keep it tethered to the fire control center.