How China’s cutting-edge drones are transforming the nation
From monitoring pollution to displaying ‘fireworks’ to revolutionising farming, the sky’s the limit for these hi-tech flying machines
In a small industrial area of Dongguan, a city in southern China’s Guangdong province, a drone hovers 150m above the ground. The IntelFlight device, equipped with a sensor that detects eight types of air pollutant, is collecting data after a resident reported an unpleasant odour to the environmental authorities.
After circling for about 20 minutes, the drone transmits the information it has collected to a monitor held by its pilot in the form of a digital map with different coloured markings. A series of red dots on the map indicate the areas emitting the highest concentrations of volatile organic compounds and after studying them, the environmental inspectors quickly locate the source of the pollution – a plastics factory with a concealed chimney.
“With the help of drones, any resident can now pick up their phone and stop pollution within hours,” said Fang Jiawei, a product manager at Guangdong IntelFlight UAV, which provides drone services to the Dongguan government.
Dongguan, one of the world’s biggest manufacturing hubs, is home to more than 300,000 factories making everything from shoes to smartphones, and all crammed into a region about the size of Hong Kong. About 200 environmental inspectors oversee the plants’ emissions.