American firm Matternet has drones with preprogrammed routes that deploy parachutes if they fall out of an invisible tube.

Following the rise of e-commerce along with other digital services across the Middle East, requirement for a swift delivery chain has also prompted firms to adopt innovation, including robots automating processes at warehouses, and drones carrying products to the buyer's doorstep. Apart from delivering products to online shoppers, drones are also pitched as effective tools for monitoring crowds, planting trees, making it rain and facilitating rescue missions during natural calamities, among other crucial tasks.

From strengthening defence to supporting content producers by capturing spectacular aerial footage, drones are serving a range of purposes, which have significantly expanded their role in everyday life across the UAE. This is why it isn't surprising that global firms are using the Dubai Airshow as a platform to pitch drones which can deliver pharmaceuticals for the healthcare sector, while also becoming part of the fire fighting mechanism, to protect and serve residents in different ways.

Introduced by US-based firm Matternet, autonomous aerial vehicles are used for operations beyond the visual line of sight, which indicates that they aren't controlled by anyone on the ground. The firm has tied up with healthcare authorities in Abu Dhabi to launch a fleet of 40 drones, which will follow pre-programmed routes to deliver medicines from hospitals.

Capable of carrying two kilos of pharmaceuticals at a time, the drones will be operational from 2022, and will also be covered by a geofence which is an invisible tube. If the unmanned drone ever drifts away from the fence in case of an error, it'll deploy a parachute and swiftly descend towards the ground.

Another function for drones explored at the airshow was their ability to monitor oil exploration sites and other facilities remotely, without the need for halting operations.

Owing to the ability to reach inaccessible terrain, UAVs called the Aura 100 are being tested as tools to tackle fires in the UAE, as they can carry a payload of 100 kilogram at a height of 3000 metres. Use of these unmanned copters also cuts down the risk for pilots in such situations.