Here’s a interesting – if unsexy – example of drone technology being used to make urban infrastructure better.

What’s going on? A drone is doing what used to be a laborious – and uncomfortable – human job: inspecting boilers:

For New York energy provider Con Edison, that task is to inspect 10-story boilers that produce steam and energy for some of the most iconic buildings in NYC, including the Empire State. The company has begun testing the use of drones (equipped with cameras and thermal systems) for inspection at one of its steam plants on the East Side of Manhattan.

This is interesting to watch, because Silicon Valley has its eye on disrupting urban areas with smart city tech. But some of the unglamorous stuff is happening without the involvement of startups of VCs…

Sexy drone footage

If that isn’t enough to sate your desire for drone action, here’s a video of the best drone footage displayed at the New York City Drone Film Festival earlier in the year: