What Are Drones?
The term drone is thrown around in a haphazard
manner these days. Originally, drone referred to an
unmanned aircraft preprogrammed with a flight plan, in
which the aircraft would fly in either a straight line or
around in circles until the engine would run low on fuel,
and then the drone would land.
manner these days. Originally, drone referred to an
unmanned aircraft preprogrammed with a flight plan, in
which the aircraft would fly in either a straight line or
around in circles until the engine would run low on fuel,
and then the drone would land.
More recently, “drone” has evolved into a catchall term
including any unmanned robot either preprogrammed or
remotely controlled. This includes robots designed for
water, land, and air use.
The most common drone is an aerial one, either an
RPA (remote piloted aircraft) or UAV (unmanned/
unpiloted aerial vehicle.)
Keep in mind that these are civilian terms, and many
more complex terms are used by different government
agencies. Even agencies such as the U.S. Army and
Air Force do not agree on the same technical jargon.
Remote-piloted aircraft, RPAs
A remote-piloted aircraft, RPA, is operated just as the
title suggests; the device is controlled remotely either
by a short-range remote control or from a more
sophisticated remote base station. Used in both
commercial and military applications, these drones are
often similar to a helicopter and can come with more
than one rotor blade as follows:
Helirotor — 1 set of rotor blades
Dualrotor — 2 sets of rotor blades
Trirotor — 3 sets of rotor blades
Quadrotor — 4 sets of rotor blades
Pentirotor — 5 sets of rotor blades
Hexirotor — 6 sets of rotor blades
Octorotor — 8 sets of rotor blades
The quadrotor and octorotor drones are the most
common of all the RPAs.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs
A true unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, is
preprogrammed prior to flight to do a specific set of
tasks on a specific flight path. These are usually
shaped like an airplane and are typically only used in
military situations, with some exceptions of course.
Not all RPAs look like a modern take on the helicopter
nor do all UAVs look like airplanes. Aerial drones have
become a hodgepodge of both. The main thing to
remember is that RPAs are being controlled in “real-
time” by a human and UAVs are not.
Aerial drone uses and applications
There are many types of uses for aerial drones.
Whether military or commercial, the applications are
similar in nature. As technology progresses, the types
of drones available will be endless; imagine a world in
which everyone rides around in driverless cars, or a
micro-drone brings you a perfectly made cup of coffee.
While these scenarios are still a ways away, the
current uses for drones are as follows:
Attack drones — Used only by the military, these
drones are equipped with lethal weapons and used for
controlled air strikes in hostel or inaccessible areas.
Crowd control drones — Equipped with non-lethal
weapons such as tear gas or sound cannons, these
drones are used to break up large, out-of-control
crowds of people without causing any substantial
physical harm. Typically used by the military and law
enforcement.
Delivery drones — Originally developed for the military
to deliver goods to ground troops, these drones are
equipped with a claw or similar delivery system and are
able to remotely drop items or gently place items in a
desired target area. Some big shipping companies like
DHL and Amazon are starting to implement these types
of deliveries to minimize shipping times, overhead
costs, and dangerous driving conditions.
Monitoring drones — Equipped with both standard and
infrared cameras as well as sensitive weather
instrumentation, these drones are used to monitor a
variety of areas. For example, drones equipped with
these cameras and instruments are used to help
prevent street crimes or aid in the detection and
prevention of forest fires. These drones are also used
for reconnaissance missions as well as other military
applications.
Photography/videography drones — These drones are
becoming more popular in the art world. Prior to drone
technology, aerial photos and videos had to be taken
from an airplane or helicopter, and this process was
very expensive. Now that commercial drones have
become available, photographers and videographers of
all kinds can get those stunning shots without the big
budget.
Parrot and other commercial drones for sale
The variety of drones available for sale is still very
limited; a few brands of commercial drones, like Parrot,
are dominating the market. Depending on the
capabilities of the drone, consumer drones can range
from $200 to thousands and thousands of dollars.
Things to determine before making a drone purchase:
How is the drone controlled? Some drones are
controlled with an app on your tablet or touchscreen
computer while others are controlled by a remote
control similar to one designed for a video game
console.
Preprogrammed UAVs are not yet available in the
consumer market, and drones for personal use are
being classified as a “remote control toy airplane.”
How far can the drone fly before losing signal from the
controller? While the cheaper model drones can reach
1000 feet or so from the person controlling the device,
some more robust and more expensive models use cell
phone towers or satellite signals and have a lot larger
range of freedom.
What do you want to use your drone for? Chances are,
as a consumer, you are looking for a photography drone
or toy drone for just the joy of flying the device, but if
you plan on using your drone for a practical application
(like to help with farm work), be aware that there are
several different types of drones to choose from and
make your choice based on the practicality of your
needs.
How long can the drone fly until it needs to refuel?
Originally, drones were designed with an internal
combustion engine inside, but due to power output
requirements and distance limitations (not to mention
lots of extra weight and noise), drones have adapted to
lithium ion battery powered electric motors.
The time a drone can stay aloft is mostly determined
by its battery size, power output, and price range;
some only lasting minutes while others can stay in the
air for more than an hour.
As more and more drones become available to
consumers and regular sightings of the UFO-esque
devices flying around increase, expect prices to drop,
and more variety to hit the market.
Source: dummies
including any unmanned robot either preprogrammed or
remotely controlled. This includes robots designed for
water, land, and air use.
The most common drone is an aerial one, either an
RPA (remote piloted aircraft) or UAV (unmanned/
unpiloted aerial vehicle.)
Keep in mind that these are civilian terms, and many
more complex terms are used by different government
agencies. Even agencies such as the U.S. Army and
Air Force do not agree on the same technical jargon.
Remote-piloted aircraft, RPAs
A remote-piloted aircraft, RPA, is operated just as the
title suggests; the device is controlled remotely either
by a short-range remote control or from a more
sophisticated remote base station. Used in both
commercial and military applications, these drones are
often similar to a helicopter and can come with more
than one rotor blade as follows:
Helirotor — 1 set of rotor blades
Dualrotor — 2 sets of rotor blades
Trirotor — 3 sets of rotor blades
Quadrotor — 4 sets of rotor blades
Pentirotor — 5 sets of rotor blades
Hexirotor — 6 sets of rotor blades
Octorotor — 8 sets of rotor blades
The quadrotor and octorotor drones are the most
common of all the RPAs.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs
A true unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, is
preprogrammed prior to flight to do a specific set of
tasks on a specific flight path. These are usually
shaped like an airplane and are typically only used in
military situations, with some exceptions of course.
Not all RPAs look like a modern take on the helicopter
nor do all UAVs look like airplanes. Aerial drones have
become a hodgepodge of both. The main thing to
remember is that RPAs are being controlled in “real-
time” by a human and UAVs are not.
Aerial drone uses and applications
There are many types of uses for aerial drones.
Whether military or commercial, the applications are
similar in nature. As technology progresses, the types
of drones available will be endless; imagine a world in
which everyone rides around in driverless cars, or a
micro-drone brings you a perfectly made cup of coffee.
While these scenarios are still a ways away, the
current uses for drones are as follows:
Attack drones — Used only by the military, these
drones are equipped with lethal weapons and used for
controlled air strikes in hostel or inaccessible areas.
Crowd control drones — Equipped with non-lethal
weapons such as tear gas or sound cannons, these
drones are used to break up large, out-of-control
crowds of people without causing any substantial
physical harm. Typically used by the military and law
enforcement.
Delivery drones — Originally developed for the military
to deliver goods to ground troops, these drones are
equipped with a claw or similar delivery system and are
able to remotely drop items or gently place items in a
desired target area. Some big shipping companies like
DHL and Amazon are starting to implement these types
of deliveries to minimize shipping times, overhead
costs, and dangerous driving conditions.
Monitoring drones — Equipped with both standard and
infrared cameras as well as sensitive weather
instrumentation, these drones are used to monitor a
variety of areas. For example, drones equipped with
these cameras and instruments are used to help
prevent street crimes or aid in the detection and
prevention of forest fires. These drones are also used
for reconnaissance missions as well as other military
applications.
Photography/videography drones — These drones are
becoming more popular in the art world. Prior to drone
technology, aerial photos and videos had to be taken
from an airplane or helicopter, and this process was
very expensive. Now that commercial drones have
become available, photographers and videographers of
all kinds can get those stunning shots without the big
budget.
Parrot and other commercial drones for sale
The variety of drones available for sale is still very
limited; a few brands of commercial drones, like Parrot,
are dominating the market. Depending on the
capabilities of the drone, consumer drones can range
from $200 to thousands and thousands of dollars.
Things to determine before making a drone purchase:
How is the drone controlled? Some drones are
controlled with an app on your tablet or touchscreen
computer while others are controlled by a remote
control similar to one designed for a video game
console.
Preprogrammed UAVs are not yet available in the
consumer market, and drones for personal use are
being classified as a “remote control toy airplane.”
How far can the drone fly before losing signal from the
controller? While the cheaper model drones can reach
1000 feet or so from the person controlling the device,
some more robust and more expensive models use cell
phone towers or satellite signals and have a lot larger
range of freedom.
What do you want to use your drone for? Chances are,
as a consumer, you are looking for a photography drone
or toy drone for just the joy of flying the device, but if
you plan on using your drone for a practical application
(like to help with farm work), be aware that there are
several different types of drones to choose from and
make your choice based on the practicality of your
needs.
How long can the drone fly until it needs to refuel?
Originally, drones were designed with an internal
combustion engine inside, but due to power output
requirements and distance limitations (not to mention
lots of extra weight and noise), drones have adapted to
lithium ion battery powered electric motors.
The time a drone can stay aloft is mostly determined
by its battery size, power output, and price range;
some only lasting minutes while others can stay in the
air for more than an hour.
As more and more drones become available to
consumers and regular sightings of the UFO-esque
devices flying around increase, expect prices to drop,
and more variety to hit the market.
Source: dummies