My drone is better than yours: What ordinary citizens do with drones

When you think of a drone, you probably associate it with a military operation like combat and surveillance, but these days almost anyone can own a drone. You can even make one yourself.

So what are people doing with their personal drones?

1. Using them to sell houses

In California, realtors are using drone technology equipped with high-definition cameras to capture not only aerial views of homes on the market, but also interior fly-bys for potential buyers to get a good look at a house without actually having to be there.

 A drone captured this aerial view of this home for sale.

For example, according to KABC, realtor Phil Immel of San Diego, CA, sold a home to a man from Australia who saw one of his drone-made tours and came straight to America to buy it.
Technically, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does describe this kind of commercial drone use as illegal, but realtors are still pulling it off.

2. Delivering wedding rings

 
Notice the drone dropping off the rings at the ceremony.
 

Talk about a high-tech wedding. One California man used a drone to deliver the wedding rings to the bride and groom at his brother’s wedding. Kevin Good figured he had about an 80% chance of this nice touch being a success and a 20% chance of it completely backfiring and hitting someone in the face.

3. Delivering your dry cleaning

A customer's laundry is leaving the Manayunk Cleanrers in Philadelphia.

Nobody likes running errands like picking up the dry cleaning. Manayunk Cleaners in Philadelphia, PA, has come up with a technical solution to that problem. Last month, owner Harout Vartanian turned a quadrocopter into the new dry cleaning delivery service. Although the drone can currently carry only 1 to 2 pounds, Vartanian told NBC that he plans to include a model that can carry up to 10 pounds.

4. Fighting off mosquitos

OK, so this drone isn’t exactly a DIY-type drone, but it is being used by civilians. With the swarms of mosquitos that dominate swampy areas, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District needed to come up with a tactic to keep them at bay.
So, on August 26, Condor Aerial will demonstrate how a 2-pound, two-and-a-half-foot drone can be of service to Florida residents.

This Condor Aerial Maveric drone will be the one to battle against mosquitos if demonstrations go well.
  
If successful, the drones will be sold to the Florida Keys Agency and equipped with thermal cameras in search of potential breeding grounds. Then, it will call in one of the district's four helicopters to spray bacteria to kill them.

Don’t forget, these days drones are also delivering pizzas, serving up sushi orders, and even being used as a journalistic tool.

If you had a personal drone, what would it do?