Since the emergence of the virus in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, the new COVID-19 coronavirus has spread rapidly and unpredictably around the world.
As the outbreak grew, so did public questions and concerns. How far will the virus spread? How can people protect themselves. How does the virus spread, etc.
In response to these fears and to address the crisis, Chinese public security officials explored how to use new technologies in partnership with DJI, finding some solutions on how to quickly disinfect large public areas.
Disinfection of public areas using drones
The DJI Enterprise Agras series of agricultural drones were adapted to spray a defining agent on potentially damaged areas. In the affected areas, China is trying to limit the spread of the virus in public places using more than traditional measures. The spraying of large areas with the defining agent reduces the risk to workers, providing the opportunity to respond more evenly, quickly to large areas without directly disturbing anyone. By spraying the definer evenly, larger areas can be covered and it also works more widely.
After research and testing, the teams developed the best solutions for aerial spraying of chlorine or ethyl alcohol-based disinfectants. The concentration of the solution and the direction of flight can be varied according to need, for example whether an area is known to be infected or not.
DJI has sprayed disinfectant on more than 3 million square metres in Shenzhen. The company is also assisting 1,000 Chinese counties in introducing the spraying method. Target areas include factories, residential areas, hospitals and waste treatment plants. In total, it covers 600 million square metres across the country so far. With this solution, spraying efficiencies can be up to 50 times faster than traditional methods. In a crisis where time is of the essence, this is great news.
“In the past, it was very difficult to ensure in such cases.
staff safety,” said DJI Senior Director of Public Safety Romeo Durscher. “It was a complete grassroots movement. The users inspired us to take action and it was well worth the effort. DJI is pleased to be able to help develop new tools, together we can find the best and fastest solutions for our environment and society.
Using drones in different ways
These last weeks have given people the opportunity to find new ways to contain the spread of COVID-19 in China. Drones were fitted with speakers to help diffuse public gatherings in crowded places (a message from the drone informs people of danger, or threat, and gives directions) DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise series drones are equipped with such a speaker. The DJI Mavic 2 Enteprise Dual and Zenmuse XT2 cameras allow this to be done very quickly without people feeling disturbed, plus it is possible to monitor a large area.
Delivering goods by drone is a popular topic. The disease outbreak has kept millions of families in their homes to avoid contact with others. For these households, contactless delivery can be of enormous help: organisations can send food, supplies and medicines to anyone who needs it. At the same time, avoiding face-to-face contact reduces the risk of infection. If needed, DJI has solutions for transporting goods by drone.
The number of cases is growing in China and beyond. However, recent reports suggest that the tide appears to be turning. Researchers are learning more about the virus every day. Vaccines are being developed in laboratories around the world. And the public is doing its part by taking all available precautions.
While COVID-19 is still a threat, there are countless people with innovative ideas to develop 21st century solutions to save lives. At DJI, we are proud to empower these individuals at any moment, and will continue to move forward with #DronesForGood to protect both emergency responders and the general public. We hope that the lessons learned from this crisis will help us make even better use of drones, sensors and other cutting-edge solutions during future medical, humanitarian, disaster and relief missions.
If you have any ideas on how else we can use the drones, let us know, and if you need support or help please contact us at info@droon.ee.
Let’s be healthy.
Source DJI.com