“Third Thumb” Augmentation Changes the Way we Think of Prosthetics
Present Day
The delivery of items via drones, whether they be packages or medication, has been a long-sought dream that only here recently has been deemed viable. Instead of focusing on whether it’s possible anymore, the biggest challenge today is in determining the best method of delivery for each unique delivery. And when it comes to delivering supplies that are absolutely crucial, such as food and aid, the stakes are that much higher.
Which is why, for drone tech. company Windhorse Aero, there may lie an answer from within its very description. Instead of having drones deliver food, why not have them be the food!? Edible drones could be the answer to a question we never thought of asking in the first place; they could be the future!
The drone’s name is POUNCER and each drone could feed 50 people. To address the hundreds of natural disasters that occur every year, POUNCER will be loaded with food, including inside of the wings. Not only that, but the entire structure of the drone will be made out of pre-formed shell, which can be reused to create shelter. And as for its frame? Made from wood, which can then be used for heating and/or cooking the food delivered. All in all, this drone will serve as a revolutionary new model of humanitarian aid delivery.
Near Future
Five to ten years from now, if the POUNCER were to be given the green light, we could witness the birth of a new form of humanitarian aid delivery. Instead of attempting to parachute food and aid from the sky, or to attempt to get a drone in and out of a war zone, drones of the near future will be a one-stop survival package. Everything people will need to survive will be compacted in a single drone.
Whether it be war or a natural disaster, no person will remain victims of such tragedies. Fleets of drones will be immediately launched, setting their course for a one-way mission: to save lives. Whether it be food, wood for heating, or the necessary shelter, no one will be left behind ever again.
“Flexibility is the key to success, and POUNCER can provide flexible mixed loads combined with an accurate delivery system to provide necessary aid to survivors on the ground. A truly multi use and adaptable tool in any aid agencies arsenal.”
– Windhorse Aero
FAR FUTURE
Thirty to fifty years from now, drones won’t just be edible, sent out into war zones to ensure people no longer starve; they’ll also become bio-mimicked insects to address other concerns that may occur around this time period. For example, there’s a good chance that, by this time, honey bees will have gone extinct. To address this critical situation, a new species of bees will have been engineered in the form of a drone.
They’ll operate autonomously, in a fleet of millions, set out into the world to ensure our crops and food supply remain as they are, if not better. These artificial bees will collect the nectar from plants, transforming it into honey, all the while pollinating the plants to ensure its overall stability. Our very ecosystem will become reliant upon these machines, just as many people today will soon become reliant upon drones like POUNCER to deliver food and aid.
Photo Credit: Windhorse Aero
About the author
B.J. Murphy is the Editor and Social Media Manager of Serious Wonder. He is a futurist, philosopher, activist, author and poet. B.J. is an Affiliate Scholar for the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET) and an Ambassador for the robotics company Humai.
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