This month marks the 2nd anniversary of when the United States, and much of the world, entered an extended period of lock downs to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). As of March 14, 2022, there have been 456,790,241 confirmed cases and 6,040,665 deaths globally from COVID19. With 79,517,492 confirmed cases and 967,552 deaths, the US has been hit harder by the virus than any other region of the world. Fortunately, with nearly 66% of the population in the US vaccinated, COVID19 cases are declining, and things are returning to normal.

In this short time, the world has gone through a drastic social, economic, and cultural shift. So much of what we do every day from how we work, shop, educate, and communicate has been forever changed. Not all of the changes have been bad. For example, the unique circumstances of the global pandemic have influenced a positive change in the drone industry. Suddenly, the world was faced with having to find ways of getting things done without people, a task perfectly suited for drones.

In 2020, New York based technology research firm, ABI Research, predicted that in 10 years, the drone industry would be worth $92 billion. “We have gone through various phases of the drone industry,” said ABI Senior Robotics Analyst Rian Whitton, “from its genesis in the military to the proliferation of consumer drones. Since Chinese developer DJI monopolized that space, the attention has shifted to commercial applications. While some of the initial hype has subsided, providers and end-users are refocusing on developing the necessary supporting infrastructure and services to make drone technology viable at scale.” While many industries saw huge dips because of the pandemic, the drone industry continued to climb.

Drones were being used by law enforcement agencies to remind people of social distancing and masking policies. They were being used to help track the spread of the virus. Drones previously used to spray agricultural chemicals were being used to spray disinfectants in outdoor spaces. For many commercial industries, drones became critical. People who had to carry out infrastructure inspections could do so safely while maintaining social distancing. But perhaps 2 of the biggest ways drones began to shine throughout the pandemic was through their ability to entertain and meet logistical delivery needs.

As a way of showing solidarity and support, drone light shows started popping up all over the world. It seemed, for a time, that almost every other week, some city was putting on a drone light show to raise morale and help people get through the stress of COVID19. Now drone light shows have become the new normal for after dark aerial entertainment. Equally as common has become the use of drones as delivery vehicles. Before the pandemic, the FAA was still very reluctant to enable drones for parcel deliveries. However, the demand for drones to deliver emergency medical supplies pushed the FAA, drone researchers, and manufacturers to rapidly develop regulations that have seen drone deliveries become a reality.

Drone deliveries are happening all over the world now. Drones are delivering everything from medical supplies, groceries, electronics, food, and even entertainment. They are making these deliveries in remote regions, suburban neighborhoods, and increasingly in complex urban settings.

The world has learned many lessons since going into lockdown 2 years ago. One of the greatest of these lessons is how to encourage the use of technology to help us adapt. Drones have been one of these tools allowing us to adapt to a post pandemic world.