The real value of autonomous drones isn’t flight, it’s their presence – opinion

The real value of autonomous drones lies not in their flight capabilities, but in their permanent presence at infrastructure sites, enabling continuous, cost-effective operations. Unlike traditional drone services that are expensive for single tasks, a permanently stationed and certified drone allows for additional missions at nearly no extra cost, shifting the focus from "can a drone do this?" to "what else can this drone do?"

• For example, an autonomous drone deployed at an 88-megawatt solar field in southern Israel for security surveillance also identified 154 defects, including 42 disconnected strings costing approximately $147,000 annually in lost electricity.
• These continuous inspections, previously uneconomical due to mobilization costs, become viable when the drone is already stationed for another purpose, such as security.
• The article emphasizes that the true value is not in the flight itself, but in the analytical layer that converts drone-collected data into actionable repair orders, a capability often overlooked in favor of aircraft acquisition.

Itamar Kohali, founder and CEO of Propeller Drones Ltd., states, "Detection is not value; repair is." While autonomous acquisition and triage are effective, human review remains crucial for accuracy.