Snow Business, February 2017
DRONING ON IN SNOW ICE Drones make perfect sense for use in snow and ice management What better way to inspect a rooftop at a commercial property to determine whether snowfall depth requires action than with a camera equipped drone Opportunities exist for site inspections estimating and more Some SIMA members are already working toward implementing drones into operations and a city in Massachusetts used the technology to view rooftops for structural damage after blizzards in 2015 Navigating legal issues and FAA regulations will need to be managed but this is an area that has promise in snow and ice 7 BILLION Estimated drones sold in 2021 FAA www sima org snowbusiness FEBRUARY 2017 SNOW BUSINESS 39 market Will the trend take hold Will the snow and ice management industry embrace these tools Will someone be bold enough to use them Conversely will you be prepared to deal with robots on sites that may get in the way of snow services The market for security robots alone is expected to eclipse 2 billion worldwide by 2022 Can you imagine footing the bill when a driver backs over one of them in a parking lot Check out www knightscope com and then tell us we are crazy Drone applications Its not just robots that are going gonzo The commercial applications for drones may eclipse 120 billion by 2020 From bridge inspections to delivery of goods to crop management to law enforcement drones are becoming a go to tool for wide swaths of our societies Are these tools that the snow industry can leverage Consider the possibilities site inspections estimating rooftop examinations to determine snow depth the opportunities are intriguing These tools combined with software may realistically impact our industry sooner than we think Have experience with any of these tools and trends Are they starting to shape your operations Email Brian Birch at brian@ sima org to share your stories ROAD SURFACE INNOVATIONS Solar Roadway Portions of Route 66 are being paved with solar panels that will generate clean energy The panels are made of specially formulated tempered glass which can withstand the weight of semi trucks and have a tractioned surface similar to asphalt They also contain heating elements so they do not freeze in colder climates The technology was spearheaded by Utahbased Solar Roadways Its not unthinkable that if successful this technology could make its way to commercial applications PHOTO SOLAR ROADWAYS PHOTO BIGSTOCK COM
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