Flying drones at night is fun and challenging. The drone's own light is not strong at night, and with the help of the drone lighting system, drone pilots and others can better spot it. At the same time, the drone lighting system also provides a strong light source for nighttime subjects to help drone photographers shoot better.
What is drone lighting?
Drone lighting refers to the installation of lighting equipment on drones to provide additional light sources, usually for nighttime operations or low-light environments.
Drone lighting technology plays an important role in many fields, including search and rescue, agriculture, construction, mapping, photography, and entertainment.
Types of drone lights
Drone lights are roughly divided into anti-collision lights and searchlights. Different drone manufacturers may integrate lights into drones, or they may be used as separate components to equip drones.
Drone anti-collision lights are also called drone flash lights and drone strobe lights. They are mainly used to provide drones with visibility to other aircraft and pilots at night to prevent collisions.
When flying drones at night, drone flashlights are required according to FAA Part 107, and these lights must be visible at 3 statute miles away and flash at a frequency of 40-100 times per minute.
Drone searchlights usually illuminate objects 75 feet away from the drone. They are suitable for close-range searches or indoor searches, and help the drone's sensors avoid obstacles and land in dark environments.
View More: Drone Night Anti-Collision Strobe Light Using Guide
Can I equip Autel drones with drone lighting?
The Autel EVO II V3 Enterprise series can carry additional drone flashlights and drone searchlights, and the EVO MAX series also has a load interface for installing drone lighting systems.
The Autel Spotlight and Autel Strobe are mainly prepared for commercial drone services, not night photography.
Although the Autel EVO Nano series, EVO Lite series, and EVO II series do not support additional light loads, if you need lights when using drones at night, you can purchase special brackets in some third-party stores to mount the lights to the drone, fix them with Velcro, or even fix them to the drone with tape.
Application of drone lighting
To fully use drones at night or in the dark and maximize their effectiveness, drone lighting systems are indispensable.
Search and rescue
In an emergency, drone lighting can help rescuers search at night or in low-light environments, illuminate the target area, and improve search and rescue efficiency.
Agriculture
Drones can be used for night operations, and lighting equipment can be used to help animal husbandry and wildlife management. At night, drones can help count cattle, find lost or trapped cattle and sheep, and manage farms.
Drones with thermal imaging can also be used to observe wildlife at night and understand biological habits. In some areas, drone hunting at night is also an important activity. Drones with thermal imaging can scout wild boars, and drones with lights can help hunters identify wild boars that have been shot more quickly.
Building and infrastructure inspection
Inspecting buildings, bridges and other infrastructure in low-light conditions, lighting equipment can help technicians see details clearly.
Law enforcement and security monitoring
Drones equipped with lighting devices can be used for night patrols, monitoring suspicious activities, and improving public safety. Drones with lights can be used to investigate and reconstruct major traffic accidents at night, and drones equipped with sensors and lights can be used to detect toxic gas or chemical leaks. Deploying drones with infrared thermal imaging and lights in wildfire situations is beneficial for surveillance.
Film and television production
Drone lighting is widely used in film and television shooting to provide a soft light source for the scene and create a specific atmosphere.
View More: Drone Light Painting Art: Incredibly Wonderful Performance
Does drone lighting affect the battery life of the drone?
Generally speaking, the weight of the lighting equipment needs to be within the load capacity of the drone, and the energy consumption of the lighting equipment needs to match the flight time of the drone, so as not to greatly reduce the battery life of the drone. Therefore, drone lighting will consume the flight time of the drone to a certain extent.
Summary
Drone missions at night are more challenging and uncertain, and proper lighting will make your flight more successful and safer. If you are a long-term outdoor worker at night, please add lighting equipment to your drone and let the drone light illuminate the way for your search and rescue and inspection.
