Hearing the word “drone” is likely to spark a picture of a weirdly-shaped, helicopter-alike small flying machine in almost everyone’s minds. Although this might be true, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology(UAV), widely acknowledged as drone technology is becoming more popular and diverse than ever before. Since its early development attempts by the French and American military services during World War II, it has undergone an unprecedented transformation to become what is so commonly used in the modern world.
Initially, the main objective of drones was to support armed operations. Mainly used for surveillance, they soon acquired new capabilities and started to be actively utilized during offensive military missions. Nowadays we come across numerous different types of drones helping humans in various fields. Civilian use and commercial development led to increased accessibility not only for businesses but also for individual users.
Obviously, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are already classified according to their purpose, size, and capabilities, hence access to some is quite limited. However, today, one can easily order a small drone for personal use at a very affordable price on the internet, or even a larger one with further abilities. Technology covers areas such as:
- Journalism, news coverage and aerial photography
- Military operations
- Urgent response services and humanitarian aid
- Mapping and urban planning
- Waste management
- Filming and game development
- Shipping and delivery
- Education and science
Journalism and news coverage
Present-day media corporations, particularly television broadcasters are hard to imagine without drone technology. Ever since the Federal Aviation Administration allowed the use of drones in news and media, technology has gained an outstanding momentum in the industry. With their help, various media outlets offer their viewers extraordinary footage that would be extremely difficult if not impossible to get without them.
Other than their impressive flexibility, drones additionally are very cost-efficient, especially in comparison to some traditional means of aerial recording, including helicopters. They were actively used for the international media coverage of many major events, including California and Australia wildfires. CNN has even established a special drone program - CNN Air. It collects footage from some 20 countries around the world, contributing to many of CNN’s projects.
Military Operations
Now, this is the area, where drone technology has truly evolved in the last decade and some believe that this is its primary use today. Originally seen as an efficient and low-risk way to operate surveillance missions, drones have firmly established themselves in the field with a diverse range of use found for them. Currently, there are a number of modifications of military drones aimed at different types of service. Rarer out of them are unmanned combat Air vehicles(UCAV), equipped with weapons, meant to perform strikes and be involved in active military operations.
UCAVs are produced only by a few countries. Because of its compact size, Micro Air Vehicles(MAV), also known as microdrones are particularly helpful during land military operations. They can usually fit in a human hand.
Because of its expanding practicality, efficiency, and uniqueness, national governments around the world invest more than ever in drone technology and its development. The market for it is estimated to be worth $98 billion in 2020 and the number is only to be increased.
Urgent response and humanitarian aid
Drones proved themselves beneficial during natural disasters and emergency situations. They help in damage assessment, projecting the estimated impact of catastrophes. With modern technology, using drones to prevent disasters or to get warnings in a timely manner has also become possible. Drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras monitor regions at risk of forest fires, detecting unusually high temperatures. Early discovery of small fires results in a fast response and avoided disasters.
Drones are now also used for delivering humanitarian aid to the areas affected by wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes or other natural disasters. In Rwanda, technology is used to operate fast blood delivery operations to the country’s hospitals.
How big is the future for drones?
Today, drones are used in classrooms, teaching students about the physics of flying, in waste management, helping to clean up the ocean and in many other major industries. As stated by Airdronecraze, a leading news source on drones’ development, there are seven generations of drone technology. The current production line mainly sits in the fifth one:
- Generation 1: Basic Remote Control Aircraft of all forms.
- Generation 2: Static Design, Fixed Camera Mount, Video Recording / Still Photos, Manual Piloting Control.
- Generation 3: Static Design, 2 Axis Gimbals, HD Video, Basic Safety Models, Assisted Piloting.
- Generation 4: Transformative Designs, 3 Axis Gimbals, 1080P HD Vide or Higher Value Instrumentation, Improved Safety Modes, Autopilot Modes.
- Generation 5: Transformative Designs, 360° Gimbals, 4K Video or Higher Value Instrumentation, Intelligent Piloting Modes. Most would agree.
- Generation 6: Commercial Suitability, Safety & Regulatory Standards-Based Design, Platform & Payload Adaptability, Automated Safety Modes, Intelligent Piloting Models and Full Autonomy, Airspace Aware. This is where we are with current Drone Technology, while some of the higher-end professional-grade Drones have started to cross into the next generation.
- Generation 7: Commercial Suitability, Fully Compliant Safety & Regulatory Standards-Based Design, Platform & Payload Interchangeability, Automated Safety Modes, Enhanced Intelligent Piloting Models and Full Autonomy, Full Airspace Awareness, Auto Action (takeoff, land, mission execution)
Drones are cost-efficient, flexible and can fulfill tasks that humans or other traditional means of technology can’t. With the recent developments and new discoveries about the future potential, the horizon for the drone’s expansion is not yet to be seen.