Quantum Leap: The good, bad & ugly of drones

The drone revolution is here. From monitoring borders to supplying critical medical supplies in remote areas in Rwanda, drones have become so ubiquitous today that even wedding photographers use drones to take photos and shoot videos. It has even led to the rise of drone racing as a spectator sport. The potential and danger of a technology that was largely limited to the military became evident to everyone in September when rebels used drones to carry out stealth attacks on an oil facility in Saudi Arabia.

Major improvements in cameras, sensors and processing capacities have made these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) more versatile. And their usage is set to grow. Barclays estimates that the $4 billion global commercial drone market will touch $40 billion in five years, resulting in cost savings of up to $100 billion for corporations.