Photojournalists might deploy drones from their cars in 2030

It seems drones are useful for pretty much everything these days. More than ever, industries are looking at drones to help them automate their work. Photojournalists might be next. At least that's one possible use noted by Digital Trends for a concept vehicle that can deploy a photography drone. The concept won the Manga Board Perspective Award to celebrate the "most bold, futuristic concept" presented at the North American International Auto Show.

The concept doesn't technically involve a completely autonomous drone. Instead, Lawrence Technological University student Dillon Kane presented the idea for a vehicle with a drone embedded on the top, allowing the UAV to be deployed as needed. The back of the vehicle has a ladder, allowing photographers to climb to the top to get the perfect shot. If that doesn't work, though, the drone is ready and waiting. The vehicle is even equipped with "soft lights" for photographers to use to light up a scene before capturing it.

The vehicle is meant to be all-terrain, as evidenced by the massive tires in the concept art. That makes this vehicle useful for professions such as photojournalism and documentarians. The idea of having a drone in a car isn't new, though. One previous concept involved a drone-deploying car that would help drivers check traffic ahead.

Nearly three years after the Renault Kwid concept, however, and the drone-deploying car is still just that: a concept. The dream lives on, though. The Magna award was for concepts of cars in 2030. Hopefully, in 13 years, drones and cars will be ready for the merger.