Current US President Donald Trump had quite a few popular campaign promises,but without a doubt his promised border wall is the most memorable. Trump has pursued the construction of the promised wall with a passion, despite being actively blocked by the official opposition at every turn. Things have finally come to a head, with the President declaring a State of Emergency, in order to force through funding for a wall protecting the border between Mexico and the USA.
Regardless of anyone’s opinion on the merits of this idea, a major project like this means plenty of opportunities. Curiously enough, the drone industry may stand to profit handsomely should the border wall go ahead.
Security from Above
As reported by CNET, companies that make drones for law enforcement and other commercial enterprises may be licking their lips in anticipation of the role that drone tech could play in border security.
There’s well over a $1Bn in play for border security and if companies like Tactical Micro, PrecisionHawk and Fortem Technologies have their way, drones will be eating a chunk of that cash cow sooner rather than later. Why? Because using drones rather than a physical wall will end up being cheaper and way more effective. With machine learning, fuel cell technology and advanced sensor systems border incursions could be detected long before border jumpers even know they’ve been spotted. This would also create far more jobs than the short term construction of a wall. Moreover. those same drones could do other jobs than just border security, such as being diverted for search and rescue missions, on an as-needed basis.
Only time will tell if the Trump wall comes in the form of steel or smart, flying robotics.
Sydney Butler is a prolific technology writer with a knack for digital gadgets and a love of flying things. He's been messing with tech since the early 90s and dreams of the day that quadcopter hoverbike finally goes on sale.
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