As commercial use of drones becomes mainstreamed throughout the world, new uses for the technology seem to appear every day. Some of these are merely theoretical for the moment; others are already being tested or even applied. Three recently introduced uses for drones indicate ways that this technology can be used by creative thinkers to solve a wide variety of problems that plague state and local governments.

First, a Houston activist has begun utilizing drones to track stray dogs. The goal is to find and count the number of stray dogs in the Houston area. Estimates indicate there may be more than a million stray dogs in the city, which cause multiple problems — from health and safety concerns to animal services issues. While the Houston endeavor is private for the moment, it is not hard to imagine local animal services departments utilizing drones to help in reducing the amount of stray dogs in their jurisdictions.

Second, a pilot project at beaches in Chile is utilizing drones to deliver floatation devices to swimmers who are in danger. The drones are equipped with external speakers to give instructions to swimmers, and have video cameras to allow lifeguards on shore to view the situation and drop the floatation devices in the right location. In a rescue situation, the drone flies out to the victim, drops a floatation device, then hovers, acting as a marker to a lifeguard swimming to assist. So far, drones have reached victims in 30 seconds on average, roughly three minutes faster than human lifeguards can usually respond.

Third, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International has announced the finalists for its annual drone prize. One of these finalists used a drone to plot the location of functioning streetlights in Greenville, S.C. and used that data to explore the relationship between nighttime illumination and crime. While that application might be helpful to cities looking to reduce crime in evening hours, a similar use of drones might just as effectively help a municipality to ensure that all of its streetlights are functioning properly, increasing driver and pedestrian safety and simplifying the task of keeping city streets well lit in an efficient, cost-effective manner.

These new uses for drones offer creative solutions for a wide variety of problems facing state and local agencies. But more than that, they serve as examples of just how many different ways drones can be used, and an indication that the pairing of creative thinking with advancing technology can solve some problems that previously seemed intractable.