We all hear the word drone from time to time. These days, it is tossed around randomly.
In the past, this word was used to refer to an unmanned aircraft that had been preprogrammed with a flight plan.
The aircraft would fly either in circles or in a straight line until the engine ran low on fuel, at which point it would land.
Recently, the word drone has evolved into a term that includes any unmanned robot that is either remotely controlled or preprogrammed.
This includes robots designed for land, water, and air use.
What is the Most Common Drone?
The most common drone right now is an aerial one, either an unmanned aerial vehicle or a remotely piloted aircraft.
Please note that these government agencies use civilian terms and more complex terminology.
Even agencies like the Air Force don’t agree on the same technical lingo.
Remote-Piloted Aircraft
Remote-piloted aircraft, or short RPAs, are operated as the name suggests.
This device is remotely controlled from a remote base station or a short-range remote.
This drone is similar to a helicopter and is used in both commercial and military exercises. It can have a variety of rotor blades.
Take a look at this list:
- Helirotor: Consists of 1 set of rotor blades
- Dual rotor: Consists of a pair of rotor blades
- Trirotor: Consists of three sets of rotor blades
- Quadrotor: Consists of a set of 4 rotor blades
This list can go all the way up to the Octorotor, which consists of 8 sets of rotor blades.
The octocopter drone is one of the most common parts of this group.
What Are Aerial Drones Used for?
There are many types of uses for aerial drones, and the applications are fairly similar whether they are used for commercial or military purposes.
Technology will continue to advance as time passes, so the types of drones that come out are endless.
Can you imagine a world with a drone delivering a fresh cup of tea? Sure, this scenario may be years away, but let’s take a look at the current uses for drones:
Crowd Control Drones
These drones carry non-lethal weapons, such as sound cannons or tear gas. These are used to break up crowds that are out of control.
These types of drones are normally used by law enforcement and the military.
Delivery Drones
These types of drones were originally intended for the military’s use in delivering care packages to troops.
They are equipped with a claw to hold the packages, and they can drop items gently remotely.
Various shipping companies are starting to use these types of drones for deliveries to minimize dangerous driving conditions and shipping times.
Photography/Videography Drones
These are pretty cool because they can deliver aerial photos and videos.
Before these types of drones surfaced, people would normally pay big money to have aerial photos or videos taken from an airplane or a helicopter.
Now that commercial drones are becoming readily available, videographers and photographers from all walks of life can take stunning shots without worrying about breaking their bank account.
How Are Drones Controlled?
You can control some drones with an app on your computer or tablet. Other drones can be controlled via a remote control similar to the ones designed for a video game console.
Regardless of who you are, drones are fun to fly. If you get the ones capable of taking aerial photos, your friends will be amazed by the pictures and videos you can take.
