ok so now China is sending entire drone fleets to aid the Nepal-China mudslide disaster you’ve seen everywhere this week
(at least 955 people have died and 4,800+ are still missing)
and the way they’re using these drones is incredible:
> the giant ones are DJI FC200 cargo drones, basically remotely piloted flying cranes that can lift up to 440 pounds
> they hover above raging rivers and lower firefighters on long cables into places completely cut off from the ground
> the pilot controls everything through a live camera feed, so the drone never needs anywhere to land
> 4 FC200s can even synchronize and lift more than 1,300 pounds together
> smaller drones build 3D maps and scan the mud for body heat
> cargo drones keep food, raincoats, and rescue equipment moving after the roads disappear
> Wing Loong drones circle overhead as flying cell towers
> other drones hover as giant floodlights, plugged into generators below so they can stay up all night
it’s basically a complete emergency-response system assembled in the sky