A Brief Introduction to Drones

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The term drones covers a very broad category of unmanned aerial vehicls (UAVS) that can be used for anything from military or commercial purposes, to personal entertainment. In popular culture, when people talk about drones they are frequently referring to any of a range of quadcopters that have become trendy over the last two years.

Unlike regular helicopters, quadcopters have two sets of propellers, making them easier to maneuvre both indoors and outdoors. Further aiding ease of use, modern quadcopters have begun incorporating a range of new technolgoy, including electronic sensors that stabilise them, with some models even controllable via a smartphone app instead of bulky controllers. Some models can even be programmed to fly set paths or patterns.

And what would a drone be without a small camera attached to give you that birds-eye view of your surroundings?

These advancements have not only seen drones becoming popular amongst even the most casual of hobbyists, but also in commercial endeavours. Large companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon have already invested heavily in research related to drones, and even smaller companies such as florists, pizza restaurants (and even real-estate agencies) have started to invetigate how drones can be used in their industry. More recently news agencies have begun to look at using drones when covering certain news stories, and Hollywood has already started using drones during the production of movies and TV shows.

Unfortunately most companies are held back from fully implementing their use of drones by regulations. Or rather the lack of regulations. As with many new technologies (or old technologies used in new ways), most countries don’t have clear regulations controlling the use of drones. And there are many valid concerns around the use of drones, including:

  • Privacy concerns
  • Drones being used as weapons (outside of the military)
  • Risk to regular aircraft

The last point is a particularly important concern with an increase in reported near-collisions involving commercial aircraft and drones seen at airports around the world. Although drones are relatively small, striking another plane’s propeller (or being sucked into a jet engine) could trigger a larger accident.

You can read more about clever uses of drone technology here, and tune in to DTV this Saturday, when the DTV team take a look at drones as a recreational activity in South Africa.