Security drones provide a more efficient, more cost-effective way to patrol larger estates that would require several security guards and, in some instances, the need for mobile van patrols.
While security and surveillance drones most readily bring to mind military usage, there is a growing number of companies turning to technology to achieve safer, more efficient patrols.
With cameras that can include infrared capable of spotting intruders hiding in vegetation, night vision to spot people in the dark, and the ability to greatly zoom in on areas of interest, it’s clear that drones can offer far more than traditional patrols. Meanwhile, brushless motors and vibration dampening that reduce their noise to half that of standard drones mean they can navigate their patrol routes quietly.
Security drones also provide a more efficient, more cost-effective way to patrol larger estates that would require several security guards and, in some instances, the need for mobile van patrols.
Use cases for autonomous security drones include:
- Patrolling sensitive locations where human patrols may be undesirable
- Risk Assessment
- Traffic Surveillance
- Remote Area Inspection
- Facilities Inspections
- Anti-poaching
- Securing Large Infrastructure
So it’s clear that there are numerous use cases for autonomous surveillance drones, but what are the tangible benefits they can bring?
Benefits of autonomous security drones
Cost Saving
Traditionally, aerial imaging required fixed wing or satellite use – bringing with it significant costs. This was not only expensive, but also meant it was not a feasible solutions for regular security patrols and surveillance programmes.
The costs related to automated drones, on the other hand, are significantly less, meaning it’s now a viable choice for patrols. It saves on traditional guard costs too, with one drone capable of replacing several guards.
Remote Monitoring
Manual patrols and surveillance are simply not practical or safe in certain environments – large plant operations, places with dangerous or expensive equipment, or those found in remote locations, for example.
Drones are able to access those hard to reach locations, or have the ability to monitor them from a safe distance thanks to advanced camera technology – businesses that may have had to begrudgingly reduce or scrap security patrols can now sleep easy that their premises are being safely monitored.
Works in low light
With night vision technologies reducing in price over the years, security drones now offer advanced functionality at a reasonable cost.
Rapid response times
If you’ve got an intruder on your property, you want the situation dealt with quickly. That’s certainly possible with on-site patrols, but many businesses rely on remote monitoring like CCTV with security teams only being sent out on suspicion of a break-in. However the typical response time of a remote team is undesirable – the intruders may be long gone by the time the team are able to reach the site.
While they can’t apprehend intruders, drones are able to gather a huge amount of valuable information in that time, greatly increasing the chances of an arrest.
Clear ROI
Automated drones are growing in popularity because they present clear advantages over traditional security and surveillance techniques. More and more businesses are looking into adding drones into their security mix – either augmenting or replacing those traditional measures.
In fact, security represents the fourth-largest use case in the £75 billion commercial drone industry (behind infrastructure, agriculture and transport), so now is the perfect time to embrace the possibilities it brings.
Security managers report an increase in team productivity when drones are in use – reducing the time needed to analyse data, for example – and companies have reported being able to reduce security costs by five times in just one year.
The returns and benefits are clear. As with our warehouse solution, some businesses worry that a pursuit of drone automation will be seen as an excuse to cut staff. But we’d say the same thing to security managers as we do to warehouse and logistics operators – drones can give you the opportunity to upskill staff and move them to areas of the business where they can be more productive and profitable.
