Asking the question “what is a drone?”, Many almost certainly know the answer themselves. These devices are also known as drones and have become quite widespread only recently. But still it is worth considering them in more detail.
What is a drone?
If the equipment can almost always be repaired or replaced, then highly qualified and highly specialized human resources are difficult to replace. That is why humanity is so zealously moving forward industries, the results of which in the future can make the work of people safer. An example is robotics, one of the brainchild of which is a special multifunctional device. So what is a drone? Usually this means an unmanned aerial vehicle controlled remotely, but there is a wider understanding of the term. Drones do not necessarily fly, but their common feature is the focus on a specific task without human intervention or with minimal intervention. It is not surprising that initially UAVs were used only by the military.
History of appearance and development
The author of the very idea of remotely controlled devices was, unsurprisingly, Nikola Tesla. In 1899, he demonstrated the ship he designed. His ideas were continued in 1910 by the young American Charles Kettering, who intended to develop an aircraft that would perform work using a clockwork. Unfortunately, we can say that he failed.
It is believed that the first UAV was developed in the UK for military purposes in 1933. For this, a restored biplane was used, however, of the three devices, only one successfully completed the flight. In the future, the machines were gradually improved, new ways of managing and controlling their activities appeared. Research and development continued actively during and after World War II. More or less successful results can be called the appearance of the famous "V-1" and "V-2". In the USSR, similar developments were carried out.
In addition to purely military purposes, UAVs were also used to train future soldiers. But the arms race did not stand still, and the leading powers continued to develop weapons that could hold back the enemy. At some point, the USSR even became a leader in UAV production volumes. However, then the United States took the lead, because in the war with Vietnam its losses were too great - drones came to the rescue.
Despite its initially military "nature", UAVs also found their civilian purpose. In a new quality, they received a shorter everyday name - drones, which became even more common than the abbreviation. By the way, it is directly related to their activities, because in translation from English drone - "bumblebee", or the verb "buzz". The re-qualification also gave an additional impetus to their development, because civilian radio-controlled drones have a lot of opportunities. But each destination needs its own characteristics, so that robotics still does not stand still. So, it seems that there are no questions left about what a drone is. What are they like?
Kinds
As a rule, drones are distinguished by size and control features. According to the first criterion, there are 4 categories:
- Micro. Devices in this group weigh up to 10 kilograms. They are capable of continuous flight for an hour at an altitude of up to 1 kilometer.
- Mini. 10-50 kilograms, height limit - 3-5 kilometers, flight duration - up to several hours. Lighter devices of this category may still belong to the civilian, further - no.
- Medium. Weight up to 1 ton, flight duration - 10-12 hours, maximum height - 9-10 kilometers.
- Heavy. Up to a day in flight at an altitude of up to 20 kilometers.
By the features of their functioning, one can distinguish the following:
- uncontrollable;
- Automatic
- remotely controlled.
Typical device
The standard design of the UAV includes a satellite navigation receiver, as well as a gyroscope and accelerometer. In addition, the device must have a programmable module. To write the working algorithms, high-level languages are used: C, C ++, Modula-2, Oberon SA or Ada95.
If you also need to save and send some information to the operator, then the design includes a memory module and a transmitter. Any other equipment is added depending on the purpose of use. Guided drones should also have a command receiver and a telemetry information transmitter.
Appointment
There are a lot of purposes for which a flying drone can be used. In addition to the aforementioned military purposes, they are engaged in aerial photography, security monitoring. There are a large number of industries with such devices in their arsenal: agriculture, fisheries, forest conservation, mapping, energy, geology, construction, media, etc. Already now, developers are looking for ways to ensure the delivery of various cargoes using drones, to establish reliable communication with remote areas and at the same time reduce fuel costs and protect the environment. In a word, manufacturers have quite a few problems, since there is already a demand for some functions, but there is no supply in response so far. So the potential is huge.
Photography
Separately, it is worth mentioning a new hobby that arose due to the widespread distribution of UAVs. It's about taking pictures from angles that were incredibly difficult to achieve before. A flying drone with a miniature camera allows you to look at familiar sights from a completely different point of view and see them in a new way. And the most successful personnel regularly participate in special competitions under the auspices of influential magazines, for example, National Geografic.
Multicopter
There is a category of aircraft, which are often considered separately due to differences in design. In fact, the drone quadrocopter is not so different from ordinary UAVs, it only has a larger number of screw systems - in this case four. It was this design that became the most popular among civilian drones. However, the safety of their flights became a serious problem, since when the battery suddenly discharges from a height of 0.5-1 km, even a fairly light vehicle can cause injuries to people, therefore it is recommended not only to take special courses on UAV control, but also follow special rules.
Interesting UAV examples
Among devices that have useful practical applications, there is room for toys and entertainment. So, a few years ago a major manufacturer Parrot introduced a drone drone, acting as a reliable alarm clock. As soon as the time of awakening came, he ran away or flew away from the owner, and you could turn it off only by catching, which significantly complicated the task of falling asleep again. So such a device can not only be useful, but also entertain, despite the fact that there is enough imagination.
For example, one Dutch artist came up with the idea of honoring his cat, who died under the wheels of a car by making an original quadrocopter. The animal was named during the lifetime in honor of one of the Wright brothers, and after death, screws were attached to his stuffed animal, and the entire structure was presented to the public at one of the exhibitions of modern art in 2012. The reaction was mixed, but the public response to this event caused widespread. And if this quadcopter drone in the shape of a cat is probably not a good idea, there is always the opportunity to come up with something of your own.
Availability
There are no restrictions on the sale of civilian models, although it’s certainly not so easy to acquire a combat drone, so those who want to take photos and videos from a height familiar to birds, observe the traffic situation or use some other functions of these devices, can do it freely. Some enthusiasts prefer to make them with their own hands, especially if they have the appropriate knowledge. Designing a flying drone with a camera is not such a difficult task for craftsmen, in extreme cases it can always be ordered, fortunately, the prices for models are quite affordable - the average cost is around $ 300. There are cheaper designs that can literally fit in the human palm.
Opponents
Despite the fact that devices of the "drone / drone" category have become widespread recently, many people have already appeared who are in favor of limiting or even banning these devices. They argue their position with the fact that UAVs that have flooded the cities not only create unnecessary noise, but can also take photos and videos through the windows of buildings, thus invading privacy. So far, opponents have expressed dissatisfaction mainly in the United States, but there is no serious discussion of laws regulating the activities of drones. Nevertheless, demand creates supply - some manufacturers already sell devices that determine the presence of aircraft in a certain radius. The sensor distinguishes the device from the birds by the nature of the movement and emits a special sound signal, well, but the owner himself decides what to do with the uninvited "guest".
Manufacturers
If we talk about the category of "combat drone", then the world leader in this area, no doubt, will be Israel. He, of course, is a leading exporter, occupying, according to some estimates, about 40% of the international market. Countries with a large share of the military-industrial complex, such as the USA and Russia, conclude contracts with Israeli agencies for joint development of devices.
Another major player in the market is Iran. According to experts, the latest developments of local manufacturers are quite capable of competing with Israeli products. A sufficient number of models for various purposes can boast and the Argentine army.
Development prospects
The fighting future of drones is beyond doubt - in any case, they will find application. As for civilian devices, the prospects are even more curious. According to open information collected by EU organizations, by 2020, consumer demand for UAVs will be distributed by industry as follows: 45% will go to government agencies, 25% to firefighters, 13% to agriculture and forestry, 10% to energy, 6% to review of the earth's surface and the remaining 1% - communication and broadcasting.
However, already now many design bureaus are thinking about how drones delivery can be arranged. At the same time, a sufficiently large number of problems must be solved: from the problem of sufficient carrying capacity and battery life to the issue of environmentally friendly disposal. But in general, this area of robotics is more than promising.
