(drone whirring) - [Rochelle] If you hear buzzing overhead, it's not uncommon to look up and see a drone in the sky.

Drone technology is advancing at a dizzying speed.

With a wide range of recreational and commercial uses, they're more popular than ever.

Also called unmanned aerial vehicles, drones can be operated by someone using a remote control, or autonomously through onboard sensors and satellite navigation.

The versatile devices are used in surveillance, mapping, and distribution, but new developments are leading to more innovative applications.

Andrew Ashur is the founder of Charlotte-based startup Lucid Drone Technologies, now called Lucid Bots.

- So, John- - [Rochelle] The inspiration came in 2018 while he was still in college.

- I saw these window washers on a swing stage cleaning this large multi-story building.

It was a windy day, the platform got stuck in the wind and started slamming against the side of the building.

- [Rochelle] Ashur wanted to leverage technology to make window washing safer.

The solution, the Sherpa Exterior Cleaning Drone.

- Rather than putting workers up on lifts, ladders, scaffolds, you can now relocate them to the ground so they can do the same exact job, but in a fraction of the time.

So it takes away a lot of the danger, but also makes the job much more efficient as well.

- [Rochelle] According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, scaffold-related incidents result in roughly 60 deaths and 4,500 injuries each year.

More than 70% of those injured were either hurt after slipping, being struck by falling objects, or when the platform gave way.

- Oftentimes, if you rent heavy equipment, you're at the mercy of the equipment you rent.

- [Rochelle] Rich Cunliffe and wife Lauren own and operate Pressure Pros Incorporated.

- We clean everything from convenience stores to NFL stadiums, and, you know, everything in between.

- [Rochelle] The commercial cleaning company has eight locations in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Texas.

They've been customers for nearly four years.

- Safety is the utmost of importance.

And long-term, you know, that's something more and more that that's gonna bring to this industry.

- [Rochelle] The Cunliffes say Sherpa Drones have helped with access issues.

They recall how using the aerial devices turned a particularly challenging project into a big win.

- It was a quarter million dollar project in the past with swing stage, scaffolding, and people dangling from the roof to clean the building.

High-liability project.

We did the project with the drone for $50,000, so a fifth of the price for the customer, and we did it in 1/10 of the time.

- [Rochelle] Are the robots replacing workers?

The Cunliffes say not the case.

- It's definitely not taking away people's jobs.

You know, we're using the same number of folks with the flying drones.

(uptempo music) - [Rochelle] Pricing for the Sherpa Drone typically starts at around $30,000.

You can also rent one through partner Sunbelt Rentals.

Fabian Valez is a certified drone pilot.

He says while some can take hours to master, the Sherpa Drone is easy to fly.

So easy even a reporter can do it.

- Think you can handle that?

I believe in you.

(drone whirring) Actually, if you hit that little switch on the right there where it says spray- - [Rochelle] The Sherpa Drone does have limitations.

The Federal Aviation Administration restricts the weight of a drone plus its payload to 55 pounds.

So legally, it can only fly as high as 140 feet.

- So 140 feet, you know, you're looking at around, you know, 12-ish, maybe 13 stories.

And interestingly enough, you know, the vast majorities of the buildings in the U.S. are 10 stories and below.

- [Rochelle] Robert Blank is head of product at Lucid Bots.

- [Robert] From the ideation to manufacturing, all of that happens right here in this building.

(machine whirring) - [Rochelle] The company is getting ready to roll out its latest product, the Lavo bot, the Surface Cleaning Rover.

According to Lucid Bots, the robot completes jobs 70% faster and more efficiently than traditional methods.

Pressure Pros is among the first to use the power washing technology.

- If you're looking at a large area of concrete, for example, you can put two robots on it while you have your guys doing the more skilled things, you know, where they're detailing around things or, you know, wiping things down.

- [Rochelle] Competition in the industrial cleaning space is limited for now.

Connecticut-based Aquiline Drones also makes an exterior spray washing drone, though the company's offerings are more expansive.

Looking ahead, Blank says, "Innovation inspired by customer needs will give Lucid Bots the competitive edge."

- What we're really focused on is tackling the things that people don't want to do.

So a lot of those next great ideas will heavily involve software and artificial intelligence.

- [Rochelle] Empowering AI to transform the future of work is not about taking opportunities from people, but rather giving people back what matters most, time and safety.

For "Carolina Impact", I'm Rochelle Metzger.