Photo Credited to Joshua Brustein
The Technology
“Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” (UAV), as defined by Wikipedia, is an aircraft without a human pilot on board. It's flight is controlled either autonomously by computers in the vehicle, or under remote control of a pilot on the ground. UAVs are also sometimes referred to as remotely piloted aircraft or RVA. The term drone will serve as an umbrella term for all remotely controlled or programmed vehicles, either aerial or land based. The documentary below, filmed and produced by the Al Jazeera Network, highlights the how and it what way drones are used in the U.S. military as well as how the technology is making the jump to the public market.
Potential and Current Uses
Credited to Colin Diltz/The Seattle Times
It is undeniable that over the next decade drones will make the transition from a classified military technology to a pervasive publicly accessible tool. In fact, this transition has already started. The photo at the top of this page is of Daniel Garate, an independent photographer for Real Estate agencies. Unlike other photographers however, Garate uses his personal drone to take ariel photographs of the house that are for sale. This is but just one potential use . Professional analysts project that because drone technology is so cost effective, the personal and commercial usage of drones is only limited to the imagination.
“I think there's an enormous growth in opportunities, commercial opportunities related to UAVs, and in large part, I think that's actually a really good thing. I think the commercial opportunities and the opportunities for innovation are truly amazing. And UAVs are in many ways going to be for our decade what the space program was in the '60s” - John Villasenor, professor of electrical engineering at the University of California Los Angeles
Police Forces
One of the many areas drones have already entered the public domain is in the police forces. Many small to medium sized towns that cannot afford a helicopter for surveillance purposes are turning to drone technology as a cost-effect means to an end. These police drones will be able to aid the the tracking and surveillance of suspected criminals, monitor the streets of the cities, and even preform reconnaissance missions in potentially dangerous environments.
Commercial Uses
There are endless possibilities for drone technology commercially. Agriculturally, drones can be used to cheaply crop dust fields. In the information business, Google will be able to employ drone technology to provide real time mapping, and commercial airliners will be able to pilot flights remotely. As demonstrated in the Al Jazeera documentary, drones will come in all different varieties, shapes, and sizes, making them a technology that can adapt to almost any task. Today, drones are in that stage of development where individual companies are manipulating the technology to meet their needs. For example, Boeing is currently working on drone project titled "Solar Eagle" that is projected to be able to remain in the air for five years at a time.
Personal Uses
As with commercial drones, personal drones will be tailored to fit the consumer's needs and wants. The technology, much like the smartphone app, will be able to be programmed to perform a desired task. Drone technology will allow users to babysit their children from on their walk to school, collect photographs, videos, and other information and data personal projects, act as a home security system, and even serve as an alter form of communication.
For more information on drones entering the public sphere, you can link to a discussion on the National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation here. In this broadcast, host Neal Conan and other analysts discuss the capabilities of drones in the United States as well as any issues that might arise from the introduction of this technology.
For more information on drones entering the public sphere, you can link to a discussion on the National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation here. In this broadcast, host Neal Conan and other analysts discuss the capabilities of drones in the United States as well as any issues that might arise from the introduction of this technology.