The Rise (Literally and Figuratively) of The Drone

Image result for dronesImage result for drones In class, we have gone over Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations and Ideas, and attempted to plug things into the graph to see its trend.  For this blog, I will be using Drones, and seeing their trends as related to what we have learned in class.  For the graph, there are 5 main parts: Exploratory, Uptake/Ascent, Tipping Point, Saturation, and Laggards.  Exploratory holds the pioneers or inventors of the product, and says that only people who invented it or use it for a specialized field will have need for it.  The Uptake/Ascent category holds the Early Adopters, who are the people that saw the benefit of the product or idea earlier than most.  The Tipping Point is the point where the product has been accepted as necessary in society, and many people have one or are planning to get one.  The saturation line shows how as time goes on, and more people buy the product or accept the idea, it becomes more and more assumed that everyone will have one.  Finally, the laggards are people who will likely never get the product or accept the idea; and there will always be laggards, no matter the idea or product.

 When it comes to drones, I believe we are in the first half of the early adopters phase.  People are seeing the use for drones, whether for commercial uses or personal entertainment, but there are not throngs of people rushing to buy drones either.  I believe they are catching on for commercial use because people are becoming more and more used to seeing drone footage for other businesses, and want some for their own.  For recreational use, I believe drones are catching on for the simple fact that, for many, flying a drone is fun.  They allow regular people to fly up and see views only helicopter pilots are accustomed to seeing, and you get this view for much less than a helicopter costs.  When it comes to the Diffusion of Innovations, I personally don't believe the drone has much farther to go.  Unlike smartphones or laptops, the uses of a drone are not useful to everyone.  Not everyone needs aerial footage of something, not does everyone think that flying a drone is a good pastime.  For me, as I begin to enter into the media field, I am very excited about the future of drones.  It opens up a whole new realm for production that wasn't easily accessible before now, and the possibilities will continue to improve overtime.  But, having said that, I know that not everyone shares my excitement for drones.  Drones are a useful tool for anyone who wants to learn how to use them, but they are not a tool that everyone needs to learn how to use.

Links: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/dec/02/drones-used-to-deliver-parcels-to-remote-alpine-villages

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