<strong>Express delivery:</strong> Australian textbook rental service <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zookal.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Zookal</a> make good on UAV's (unmanned aerial vehicles) promise to provide lightning-speed personal deliveries. French postal service La Poste claimed to be launching a newspaper delivery drone service in April -- <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2013%2F04%2F02%2Fdrone-mail-delivering-france_n_2332639.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">only to reveal it as a hoax</a>. But Zookal looks to be the real deal, offering Sydney students the chance to have their textbooks dropped at any location.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Express delivery: Australian textbook rental service Zookal make good on UAV's (unmanned aerial vehicles) promise to provide lightning-speed personal deliveries. French postal service La Poste claimed to be launching a newspaper delivery drone service in April -- only to reveal it as a hoax. But Zookal looks to be the real deal, offering Sydney students the chance to have their textbooks dropped at any location.
Courtesy Zookal
<strong>Airborne aid: </strong>U.S. start-up <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmatternet.us%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Matternet</a> aims to create a network of drones capable of <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2013%2F05%2F31%2Ftech%2Finnovation%2Fmatternet-drones-networks-gateway%2F">transporting potentially lifesaving goods to rural and under-developed areas</a>. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is backing rural drone transport too -- funding a project that aims to<a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2012%2F11%2F30%2Ftechnology%2Fdrones-unmanned-aircraft.fortune%2F"> transport vaccines to hard-to-reach and disaster-struck locations</a>.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Airborne aid: U.S. start-up Matternet aims to create a network of drones capable of transporting potentially lifesaving goods to rural and under-developed areas. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is backing rural drone transport too -- funding a project that aims to transport vaccines to hard-to-reach and disaster-struck locations.
Courtesy Matternet
<strong>Fast food: </strong>so what if Domino's were only joking when they announced their <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2013%2F10%2F18%2Ftech%2Fgallery%2Fdrone-uses-unusual-weird%2Fa.%2509http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2013%2F06%2F04%2Ftechnology%2Finnovation%2Fdominos-pizza-drone%2Findex.html" target="_blank">Domicopter delivery service</a>. London's <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Featocracy.cnn.com%2F2013%2F06%2F10%2Fsushi-drone%2F%3Firef%3Dallsearch">Yo Sushi restaurant</a>, California's <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2013%2F06%2F21%2Ftech%2Finnovation%2Fdrone-burrito-bomber%2F">Burrito Bomber</a>, and <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnet.com%2F8301-11386_3-57601531-76%2Fdrones-in-china-deliver-packages-even-a-birthday-cake%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">an ingenious Shanghai baker</a> are already capable of putting UAVs to good use, bringing fresh food to hungry mouths.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Fast food: so what if Domino's were only joking when they announced their Domicopter delivery service. London's Yo Sushi restaurant, California's Burrito Bomber, and an ingenious Shanghai baker are already capable of putting UAVs to good use, bringing fresh food to hungry mouths.
COurtesy Domino's
<strong>Drone ranger: </strong>efforts to protect four of the world's last remaining northern white rhinos have been boosted by a $70,000 drone. The Ol Pejeta Conservacy in Kenya is planning to use the UAV to <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2013%2F01%2F30%2Fworld%2Fafrica%2Fdrone-poaching-ol-pejeta%2Findex.html">monitor the location of its wildlife and deter poachers from harming the animals</a> -- and other conservationists are <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2013%2Fmay%2F28%2Fdrones-changing-face-conservation" target="_blank" target="_blank">following suit</a>.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Drone ranger: efforts to protect four of the world's last remaining northern white rhinos have been boosted by a $70,000 drone. The Ol Pejeta Conservacy in Kenya is planning to use the UAV to monitor the location of its wildlife and deter poachers from harming the animals -- and other conservationists are following suit.
PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/GettyImages/file
<strong>Shooting the stars: </strong>one group sure to be seeing more drones in the near future are Hollywood's stars. Whether acting in front of <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmotherboard.vice.com%2Fread%2Fthis-is-how-you-do-drone-cinema" target="_blank" target="_blank">drone-mounted cameras</a> or being <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Finternational%2Feurope%2Fpaparazzi-use-drones-to-photograph-tina-turner-wedding-in-switzerland-a-914179.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">chased by UAV paparazzi</a>, wherever celebrities go, the drones will be watching.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Shooting the stars: one group sure to be seeing more drones in the near future are Hollywood's stars. Whether acting in front of drone-mounted cameras or being chased by UAV paparazzi, wherever celebrities go, the drones will be watching.
Courtesy Dedicam.tv
<strong>Search and rescue:</strong> need a tireless search party? Why not drones, which could be pre-programmed to scan an area, leaving no stone unturned. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department began experimenting with the SkySeer Search and Rescue drone <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnet.com%2F2300-11394_3-6085259.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">as early as 2006</a>, and British mountain rescue teams are testing a <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fuk-england-cumbria-23327168" target="_blank" target="_blank">crowd-sourcing approach to spotting stranded climbers</a>.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Search and rescue: need a tireless search party? Why not drones, which could be pre-programmed to scan an area, leaving no stone unturned. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department began experimenting with the SkySeer Search and Rescue drone as early as 2006, and British mountain rescue teams are testing a crowd-sourcing approach to spotting stranded climbers.
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images/file
<strong>Lay of the land:</strong> time-draining agricultural tasks such as spraying pesticides could soon be left to UAVs, while surveillance drones are capable of <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2013%2F01%2F09%2Ftechnology%2Fdrones%2F">provide crucial information to help boost harvests</a>. This French drone is scanning crops to help farmers optimize water levels and fertilizer use. Or you could always use a heat-sensing drone to route out pests, <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2012%2F02%2F18%2Ftechnology%2Fdrones-with-an-eye-on-the-public-cleared-to-fly.html%3Fpagewanted%3Dall%26_r%3D1%26" target="_blank" target="_blank">as one Louisiana hog-hunter has done</a>.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Lay of the land: time-draining agricultural tasks such as spraying pesticides could soon be left to UAVs, while surveillance drones are capable of provide crucial information to help boost harvests. This French drone is scanning crops to help farmers optimize water levels and fertilizer use. Or you could always use a heat-sensing drone to route out pests, as one Louisiana hog-hunter has done.
ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Capturing the action: </strong>whether you're searching for <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FUS%2Fdrones-eyed-paparazzi-school-teaching-reporters-operate%2Fstory%3Fid%3D18782432%23.UVRMm1ckRvJ" target="_blank" target="_blank">the big scoop</a>, capturing <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wired.co.uk%2Fmagazine%2Farchive%2F2013%2F02%2Fplay%2Fdrone-patrol" target="_blank" target="_blank">live sports</a>, or taking part in the action, drones promise to bring a new angle to the day's events. UAV enthusiasts <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fspectrum.ieee.org%2Frobotics%2Faerial-robots%2Fpersonal-drones-fly-above-burning-man" target="_blank" target="_blank">brought a unique perspective to this summer's Burning Man festival</a> with their camera-equipped creations.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Capturing the action: whether you're searching for the big scoop, capturing live sports, or taking part in the action, drones promise to bring a new angle to the day's events. UAV enthusiasts brought a unique perspective to this summer's Burning Man festival with their camera-equipped creations.
<strong>Saving the world?</strong> As engineers at the Fukushima nuclear plant<a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2F2013%2F08%2F14%2Fus-japan-fukushima-insight-idUSBRE97D00M20130814" target="_blank" target="_blank"> embark on another terrifyingly hazardous mission</a> to correct damage sustained during the 2011 tsunami, the benefits of disaster response robots are clear. UAV disaster teams, capable of flying into hazardous zones and saving lives, could turn around perceptions of "killer" drones. Oklahoma-based <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhatsnext.blogs.cnn.com%2F2013%2F05%2F23%2Fdrones-the-future-of-disaster-response%2F">Fireflight are leading the way</a> with their wildfire battling bots.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Saving the world? As engineers at the Fukushima nuclear plant embark on another terrifyingly hazardous mission to correct damage sustained during the 2011 tsunami, the benefits of disaster response robots are clear. UAV disaster teams, capable of flying into hazardous zones and saving lives, could turn around perceptions of "killer" drones. Oklahoma-based Fireflight are leading the way with their wildfire battling bots.
JAPAN POOL/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Protect and serve: </strong>after the military, police forces were among the first to declare an interest in drones. In May, Colombian police revealed this surveillance quad-coptor -- designed to protect Latin American heads of state at the VII Pacific Allianz Summit -- and UAVs have been <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Farticles.washingtonpost.com%2F2011-03-23%2Fworld%2F35261451_1_drones-scaneagle-farc" target="_blank" target="_blank">used in counter-narcotics operations in the country since 2006</a>.
10 friendly neighborhood drones —
Protect and serve: after the military, police forces were among the first to declare an interest in drones. In May, Colombian police revealed this surveillance quad-coptor -- designed to protect Latin American heads of state at the VII Pacific Allianz Summit -- and UAVs have been used in counter-narcotics operations in the country since 2006.
LUIS ROBAYO/AFP/Getty Images