Remote control flying drones have taken on an additional role in construction in recent years. Drone use in construction has the potential to improve the performance of construction teams and boost overall profitability and efficiency, notes reporter Will Knight in an article on the website of the MIT Technology Review. Even so, drone use in construction also has a controversial side that could lead to objections by workers.
Drone Use in Construction: The Positives
The types of drones used in construction projects are usually the smaller, boxy drones with three or more propellers. These drones can be flown vertically or horizontally and controlled with considerable precision by a remote operator. The positives that these drones bring to construction sites include:
- Better project management: Drones can fly over a construction site and take multiple pictures and videos that can then be converted to a three-dimensional picture of the site. This image can be compared to drawings, plans, and expectations to ensure progress is on time, or to identify areas where troubles might occur.
- Improved efficiency: Drones can be used to monitor the progress of a construction project as well as the day-to-day activities of the workers on the site. With a drone, managers can see how well and effectively employees are working and if there are areas where bottlenecks occur or where efficiency can be improved.
- Increased safety: Drone video footage can help managers identify safety violations or areas where safety may be a concern.
Drone Use in Construction: The Negatives
Some believe that using drones to monitor construction activities is an invasion of privacy, or at the very least, the imposition of an unacceptable level of surveillance on employees and construction teams. Drone surveillance could be used in an intimidating way to urge employees to work more hours.
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It’s great that technology is making things so easy these days but what about the workers that will be replaced by these drones?
I love that the world is trying hard to cut cost and make the work environment a bit easier but will this benefit people as more and more people are looking for jobs and some losing their jobs because their replaced by technology that can get the work done faster without costing the companies an arm and a leg?