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As I’ve been stuck at home for however many days now, I’ve had more time to fly my small collection of drones — both inside and around my house, with some modest incursions into the nearby woods using the Skydio 2. I’ve been a bit sheepish about doing so — after all, people are especially skittish right now, and even during normal times, drones tend to make neighbors anxious.
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Still, it’s been liberating to stand in my backyard or on my porch and explore the neighborhood from above. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. In fact, drones are having a bit of a moment in this coronavirus era.
Read more: Best drone for 2020
When you’re locked down, flying is more powerful than ever, extending your reach and eyes into the sky, despite being stuck in your home or apartment. We’ve rounded up some of the more innovative and controversial ways that people, health officials and governments are using drones right now.
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1. Giving virtual tours of quarantined cities
Enthusiast site Drone DJ has an eerie roundup of drone footage of US cities including New York, Los Angeles and Boston as well as international metro areas such as Milan, Paris and Zurich.
See more at DroneDJ: Ultimate coronavirus drone footage roundup: USA, China, Italy, Spain and more
2. Identifying the sick
The Chinese government has been using drones equipped with thermal sensors to find sick people walking around in public places, according to this Wall Street Journal article from March 10. Conscripted from their previous jobs — including detecting forest fires and surveilling the population for other purposes — these government drones are now scanning the population to find people, potentially infected with COVID-19, who should not be out and about. Remember: If you’re sick, stay home.
Read more: How a smart ring may help detect early COVID-19 symptoms
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3. Shame from above
As reported by the New York Times, Britain’s police force has been using drones to capture footage of people flouting the country’s social distancing guidelines — and then tweeting it out. Despite the outcries of activists and officials concerned about the potential invasion of privacy, the Derbyshire police department profiled has so far struck an unrepentant tone: “We understand that people will have differing views about this post, however, we will not be apologetic to using any legal and appropriate methods to keep people safe.”
The Chinese government, which has long used technology to support its authoritarian regime, has been more ardent in its use of drones to enforce social distancing policies. Global Times News, a state-controlled news outlet, reported in January that police in parts of Taizhou, an eastern city of 6 million, has been using drones equipped with loudspeakers to deter people from congregating. In the video below, a Chinese official chastises an older woman for being out in public without a mask and reminds her to wash her hands.
Walking around without a protective face mask? Well, you can’t avoid these sharp-tongued drones! Many village and cities in China are using drones equipped with speakers to patrol during the #coronavirus outbreak. pic.twitter.com/ILbLmlkL9R
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) January 31, 2020
4. Getting booed up
When some guy in Brooklyn saw a girl dancing on a nearby rooftop, he did what you do in coronavirus 2020: Wave hello, get your drone — I checked with him, it’s a DJI Mavic Pro — and shoot your shot. Watch the video, it’s a good one.
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I can’t believe this actually worked and yes this is a real story. There’s going to be a part 2 in the next couple of days, add me on tiktok if you wanna see it 🥰link in bio🥰
5. Walking the dog
Dogs don’t care about your quarantine. When a dog needs to go out, it needs to go out. One Cypriot addressed this issue by attaching his Pomeranian’s leash to his drone, and setting them outside his door. According to an article in the Daily Mail, Vakis Demetriou piloted the drone from the balcony outside of his quarantined home. It’s unclear who — if anyone — handled the aftermath.
Man uses a drone to walk his dog without leaving his house during coronavirus shutdown https://t.co/ZipdaEr0si
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) March 23, 2020
