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UK-based military tech company Elbit Systems has recently handed over five swarms of drones to the British Ministry of Defence, allowing the British military to better gather information on their missions before they get into them – and that would not be possible without a camera. This is just one way that cameras have advanced militaries, but startups have gained an advantage from them too. Take a look at our breakdown of how cameras have advanced and why they are vital to military operations and startups.

How have cameras and imaging improved?

Cameras have always been present at war as long as they have been invented. Yes, when the soldiers of WWI were carrying around a tiny knapsack of essentials, a few of them were also carrying one of those bulky, extendable photo cameras that were the earliest portable models. At that moment and time, and ever since, cameras were primarily used to keep a record of what was happening around them, lest we forget.

Capturing the horrors of war so as to avoid history repeating itself and tell the stories of those who fight for their country is a concept that hasn’t changed, but as cameras advanced, there came a secondary purpose and soon capturing what the other side was up to for the sake of information became just as important.

A side effect of a camera being placed in everything from our phones to our watches is that the military has gained great benefits from. Cameras are now placed in drones, which scout out potentially dangerous situations, offering everything from infrared to night vision, auto tap balance and shock absorption and loads of other features to give the clearest picture and offer extra ways of detecting what you’re looking for.

Military uses

The quality of modern cameras is important to the military, who are using them to gather information. There has been a great embracing of unmanned vehicles, in the air, on the land, and in the sea – and they all rely on a quality camera to serve their purpose.

The idea, primarily, is to gather information about any given situation. Elbit Systems Sandwich unmanned vehicles can be sent into dangerous situations and report back the findings to the military operatives. This can be an area where a fugitive is hiding, assessing a bomb discovery, or in the sea reporting on the oxygen levels and turbulence of the water for ease of movement for divers and ships.

Startup uses

Cameras have always been important to startups because startups more than any other business, need marketing. You could argue that a company like Coca Cola doesn’t need marketing anymore because who hasn’t heard of Coca Cola, but a startup needs to loudly tell the world that they are here and they intend to stay.

And today, that is easier than ever. However, it’s greatly aided by the fact that there is a camera in everyone’s pocket. As smartphones have advanced, phone cameras have advanced, and social media marketing has played a far more vital role in marketing.