UAV stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and it covers
all remotely controlled machines that are also known as drones or quadcopters
as well as aircrafts used by the US air force. These machines are mainly used
by military and police officers to carry out an operation where a manned
aircraft seems impractical or too risky. Unmanned aircrafts are not new; they
have been in use since the World War I. However, at that time the control was
mechanical and the aircraft could only go as far as the fuel would allow.
Later on, devices that could be controlled with the
help of radio or infra-red technology were developed. These devices became the
predecessors of the modern drone that employs integrated circuit or computer
chips and can be programmed to fly for a definite time period in a definite
direction fulfilling a definite purpose. This design gave rise to the latest
quadcopters that are available on the market for hobbyists of all ages who love
to fly drones.
UAV
Classification According to the US Air Force
UAVs can be classified into many different types
depending on the purpose for which they are used. However, not all of these are
available on the market for general public. The ones available on the market
are usually called quadcopters that come with or without a camera and GPS meant
for fun or entertainment purposes. Some commercial units are also made to
achieve objectives specific to a company or business. However, the more
advanced machines used by the US air force are classified into three main
types;
Extremely small UAVs, also known as micro AV or MAV
Low altitude, long
endurance UAVs
Medium altitude, long endurance UAVs (aka ‘MALE’)
High altitude, long endurance UAVs (aka ‘HALE’)
Examples of these UAVs include Global Hawk, Mariner,
Hunter, Predator, and Fire Scout. These are large, sophisticated flying
machines with a satellite data link system, cameras, radar, laser designators
and weapons. Most of these are fully autonomous, which means they are
intelligent devices capable of decision making during their flight. They
capture battle damage information in real time and convey it back to the
soldiers on ground. They are able to provide continuous operations for up to 7
or 8 hours of staying in the air.
Functional
Classification of UAVs
There are six functional categories of UAVs and
these machines are designed to achieve a particular objective. The purposes
that these drones fulfill include target acquisition, battlefield intelligence,
attack (also known as unmanned combat air vehicle), cargo and logistics,
research and development, and commercial UAVs. UAVs are also classified
according to their size and these are known as micro, miniature, midsize, and
large military-specific or combat drones.
The main function that makes these UAVs different
from the ones available off-the-shelf is their ability to fly autonomously. This
means that the vehicle is able to make decisions depending on its flight to
change direction, capture images, or return to ground. These machines come
equipped with various sensors and in order to make a decision, the input from
different sensors is merged. They are also able to communicate with other UAVs
flying around as well as with ground stations and satellites. They are capable
of determining the ideal course for achieving a mission. These powerful
capabilities make them extremely sensitive and sophisticated devices and these
operations are not available in drones or quadcopters used for the purpose of
fun and entertainment.
Hobbyist
Drones
Hobbyist drones are the most common type of drone
and come in various sizes, designs, prices and functionality. Hobbyist UAVs
that can be further classified into three main types:
Ready-to-Fly (RTF)
Bind-and-Fly (BNF)
Almost-Ready-to-Fly (ARF)
Ready-to-Fly drones are the most commonly used UAVs among
general public, hobbyists, and entrepreneurs. As it is clear from the name,
these types of flying machines do not need much assembly as they come equipped
with the required functionality and you only need to put in the batteries and
you are good to go.
These RTF drones are designed to provide the user
with many basic and advanced features, which are quite useful for a number of
applications. The latest quadcopters come with a 12 MP camera for taking excellent
quality aerial photos as well as record 4K video. They also offer live HD video
streaming on your smartphone or any other hand-held device. The newest drones
are associated with a mobile app to give you more control over its
functionality as well as use a flight simulator for learning to fly. The flight
times vary from model to model, but a fairly good quality quadcopter provides
up to 30 minutes of continuous flight time.
Bind-and-Fly, on the other hand, requires you to
first bind the machine with its transmitter before taking it off ground. Such a
machine is not meant for hobbyists as it requires a little assembly, which only
experts can handle.
Similarly, ARF or Almost-Ready-to-Fly aircrafts require some
sort of assembly before they could be used. These machines come with an
instructions manual so that anyone could assemble it easily and quickly. They
are perfect for expert pilots who already have the radio equipment (the
transmitter and the receiver) and are only looking for other parts to complete
the structure of their drone.
All these drones or UAVs are available off-the-shelf
in the price range of $50 to $3,000 and even more depending on their
specifications, model, and overall design. Most quadcopters are very robust and
durable and therefore they last for a long time if handled properly.
Although these UAVs are called ‘good’ drones but
they do pose threat to public safety as they can mistakenly fly over private
property and no-fly zones, or collide with another aircraft, damage something
or crash land somewhere unknown. It is therefore advisable to follow the
precautionary measures while flying these seemingly harmless quadcopters for
the sake of fun in order to ensure safety.
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