How Drones are Used to Enhance Physical Security

According to forecasts, the size of the drone industry is likely to exceed $129.3 billion dollars by the end of 2025. This massive growth can be attributed to the many innovative uses of drones in potentially dangerous situations. A few to mention are threat detection and response, surveillance, emergency rescue operations, hostage negotiations, and so on.

On the commercial front, drones are already being used to inspect pipelines, deliver medical supplies, for inventory surveillance, and several other vital business functions. Renowned businesses like Amazon, Walmart, DHL, and many others have begun using drone fleets for their core operations. So, there is a lot happening in the drone sector, especially in the drone security systems segment. Why? Let’s figure that out by analyzing certain factors responsible for this growth.

Drone Security Systems | Challenges and Solutions

In 2020, the drone market size was estimated to be around $22.5 billion and is supposed to grow at 13.8% CAGR, which is huge for a budding sector. Let us discuss some of the challenges faced by this industry to get a glimpse of what the future holds.

Absence of a powerful drone traffic control system

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the US currently has 868,804 registered drones out of which about 42% are commercial drones and the rest are registered as recreational drones. This does not include unregistered drones and there could be thousands of them.

Speaking of the progress of devising a drone traffic control system, NASA is on it. It has been working on a project which attempts to connect drone controllers to government agencies for better regulation.

Nevertheless, businesses would still require private drone security systems just the way they have private security teams. This is mainly important for those businesses that are located in remote areas and that deal with highly valued assets and materials.

Awareness about Drone Security Systems

Over time, there has been a lot of confusion around drones and their potential uses. Many people are quite skeptical about this technology which in one part of the world is being used to deliver packages and in the other, to put an end to Iran’s Commander-in-Chief Qassim Suleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad International Airport.

Drones can do that and much more as their capabilities entirely depend on how their hardware is architected, and the AI algorithms that run it are programmed. Innovative drone security systems that are powered with AI-based physical security solutions like Scylla are instrumental in protecting private properties and individuals. Some of its key benefits include proactive real-time threat detection, gun detection, and intrusion detection.

Businesses and large campuses can use it to keep 24/7 vigil and send automatic notifications to law enforcement agencies when a threat is detected. However, to get the most out of it, businesses must choose drones with the right configuration of hardware components, such as sensors, cameras, and receivers which have a direct impact on its performance.

A point to note is that your business may or may not need drones with highly advanced hardware, so it’s better to pick them based on the task you wish to perform.

COVID-19 and its Repercussions

Right now, the world is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and in many ways that may have accelerated the growth of drones use in physical security. In fact, in their rapid guidance UNICEF states how drones can be used to combat COVID-19 and some use cases include pick and drop of lab samples, medical supplies to those infected, aerial spraying of disinfectants, and public area monitoring and guidance.

Thus, drones have been doing a splendid job in keeping everyone secure during the times of COVID-19. However, many argue whether the demand for drones is going to last post-vaccination and we’d like to confirm that with a ‘yes’. According to the World Bank, the pandemic-led recession has been the worst since the Great Depression and so are its repercussions. Despite the economic slowdown, the drone market is bound to explode in 2021 due to situational requirements and changing customer behavior.

According to McKinsey, consumer behavior is changing and although we may soon be done with the novel virus, consumers are going to continue shopping online. This requires e-commerce businesses to compete against one another on delivering a superior customer experience which can only be through faster deliveries and reduced service costs. Industry leaders suggest that the changing customer behavior due to COVID-19 restrictions is going to contribute to the growth of the drone sector.

A Surge in Physical Security incidents

The past year has witnessed a meteoric rise in the number of physical security incidents such as homicide, shoplifting, vehicle thefts, and so on. As a matter of fact, there has been a 72% increase in car thefts in Austin, Texas, and a 22% spike in Salt Lake City. As businesses reopen, they must implement additional physical security measures to protect their customers, employees, and their assets.

The challenge is to bolster physical security without any significant increase in operational costs. This is where drone security systems come in and help organizations build a robust security infrastructure. Drone security systems are particularly useful in monitoring large open and semi-open spaces like the storerooms, parking lots, stadiums, etc. Drones are particularly useful for those businesses operating in remote areas or locations that are hard or slow to access.

Scylla AI-powered Drone Security System is trained to effectively operate on drone cameras with non-static environments and backgrounds. We use proprietary algorithms to enable smart digital zooming and lightning fast detection to operate at larger distances and run smart surveillance.

24/7 Surveillance with Drones

Powerful drones with data gathering features are perfect for round-the-clock surveillance which makes physical security cost-effective for businesses of all sizes. In fact, drone surveillance can also be automated by scheduling periodic patrols.

AI solutions like Scylla’s gun and intrusion detection modules can track real-time threats and keep track of suspects even after they conceal the weapon. With advanced AI and machine learning methodologies, Scylla is fully capable of detecting threats in real-time and reporting them through pre-defined mechanisms while implemented on drones.

High-Speed Threat Detection and Response

Aerial vehicles can cover vast terrains and pick useful data which makes them apt for threat detection. It is ideal for monitoring large crowds everywhere - from Superbowl to airports - to ensure perimeter protection. With the right AI solutions, drones can detect dangerous objects and even the non-compliance of social distancing norms. It can also be configured to initiate specific actions in real-time if dangerous objects or behavior are detected.

For instance, it can be programmed to keep track of those not complying with post-COVID safety measures and issue warnings to them. Doing this manually among large crowds can be a challenge for security teams but with Scylla-powered drones, there is little to worry about.

Scylla has a proven track record of identifying suspects and the security personnel can use that data to effectively respond to threats. Particularly, to assess the level of danger before venturing into the crime scene and risking their lives.