Drones

Jeep Drone Observe Me Function – Helpful or Advertising Hype?

At the Stellantis EV Day 2021 conference last week, the parent company of the Jeep brand announced a future technology ranging from peer-to-peer charging to autonomous vehicles and biometric facial recognition in case you lose your keys. Some of these technologies are real shifts towards cleaner transportation – but is Jeep drone pairing technology a real benefit or just cool marketing?

The technology is not world-shattering. Drones have been able to track moving targets for years: 3DR added the Follow-Me functionality to the now discontinued Solo in 2016. What is a bit different with the Jeep drone that stands out at Stellantis EV Day is the 2-way drone pairing: In the example shown, the function enables dashboard integration.

The coupling function of the Jeep drones has obvious entertainment value. Combined with a few other new features – like autonomy – it fits in with the efforts made by marketers to present the brand as an adventure sports car. In the age of social media, adventurers almost always want to document their experiences – and a drone is ideal for this.

Could the new dashboard integration have commercial or public safety applications? Absolutely – and they can be far more impressive than the makers of Stellantis EV Day realize. If the drone were appropriately equipped to meet regulatory requirements for overflying people and moving vehicles, the dashboard integration of drones could be perfect for a last mile delivery scenario that combines drones and ground-based vehicles and one drone of one Truck parked at a height starts neighborhood. Car drone pairing technology could also be perfect for law enforcement and public safety applications: like in the Microsoft police car of the future.

The Verge called Stellantis EV Day “extremely strange” – other publications said the presentation was too short. Whether or not the Jeep drone pairing feature will actually appear by 2025 remains to be seen, but the possibilities for the concept are real.

Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional marketplace for drone services, and a passionate observer of the emerging drone industry and regulatory environment for drones. Author of over 3,000 articles focusing on the commercial drone space, Miriam is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam graduated from the University of Chicago and has over 20 years experience in high-tech sales and marketing for emerging technologies.
For advice or writing in the drone industry, email Miriam

TWITTER: @spaldingbarker

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