Difference between revisions of "Drones"
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==History== | ==History== | ||
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| + | The origination of drone technology stretches back to the end of World War I when the United States developed a design for aerial torpedoes.<ref name="MASH Animation">An Animated History of the Drone. YouTube. Mashable, 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.</ref> In 1915, British armed forces used aerial imagery to capture maps of German fortifications.<ref name="MASH Animation" /> Aerial mapping is now used widely for both military and civil purposes. The U.S. produced the first remote-controlled aircraft in 1939.<ref name="MASH Animation" /> However, pilots were still needed for takeoff.<ref name="Nation History">Soften, John February. "A Brief History of Drones." The Nation. The Nation Company, LLC, 7 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.</ref> | ||
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| + | Israel developed unpiloted surveillance machines in 1973, later collaborating with the U.S. to produce a reconnaissance drone.<ref name="MASH Animation" /> In 1994, the Pentagon produced the first generation of Predator drones, initially armed solely with surveillance cameras but later approved to carry missiles.<ref name="MASH Animation" /> These surveillance drones could provide 60-mile panoramic views.<ref name="Smithsonian">Bowden, Mark. "How the Predator Drone Changed the Character of War." Smithsonian Magazine Nov. 2013: n. pag. Smithsonian.com. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.</ref> | ||
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| + | After 9/11, a targeted killing campaign was approved to eliminate specific individuals.<ref>Masters, Jonathan. "Targeted Killings." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 23 May 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.</ref> The first such attack by a drone occurred in 2002 when the target was incorrectly assumed to be Osama bin Laden.<ref name="Nation History" /> | ||
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| + | Since then, the U.S. has completed numerous drone strikes in countries such as Pakistan and Somalia.<ref name="Nation History" /> The Federal Aviation Administration has approved 934 government agencies in the U.S. to operate drones.<ref name="MASH Animation" /> However, there has been much public debate about the ethics of drones due to numerous civilian casualties they have caused.<ref name="Smithsonian" /> This debate, in addition to concerns about privacy, has led 35 states to introduce legislation limiting drone use by government agencies.<ref name="MASH Animation" /> | ||
==Features== | ==Features== | ||
Revision as of 21:01, 20 February 2017
Lead Paragraph
Contents
History
The origination of drone technology stretches back to the end of World War I when the United States developed a design for aerial torpedoes.[1] In 1915, British armed forces used aerial imagery to capture maps of German fortifications.[1] Aerial mapping is now used widely for both military and civil purposes. The U.S. produced the first remote-controlled aircraft in 1939.[1] However, pilots were still needed for takeoff.[2]
Israel developed unpiloted surveillance machines in 1973, later collaborating with the U.S. to produce a reconnaissance drone.[1] In 1994, the Pentagon produced the first generation of Predator drones, initially armed solely with surveillance cameras but later approved to carry missiles.[1] These surveillance drones could provide 60-mile panoramic views.[3]
After 9/11, a targeted killing campaign was approved to eliminate specific individuals.[4] The first such attack by a drone occurred in 2002 when the target was incorrectly assumed to be Osama bin Laden.[2]
Since then, the U.S. has completed numerous drone strikes in countries such as Pakistan and Somalia.[2] The Federal Aviation Administration has approved 934 government agencies in the U.S. to operate drones.[1] However, there has been much public debate about the ethics of drones due to numerous civilian casualties they have caused.[3] This debate, in addition to concerns about privacy, has led 35 states to introduce legislation limiting drone use by government agencies.[1]
Features
Autonomy
Applications
Commercial
Environmental
Drones are useful in monitoring and mitigating environmental disasters because they can access areas too dangerous for human pilots. In October 2016, NASA utilized a large drone to track Hurricane Matthew.[5] This was a safer, cheaper option for collecting weather data than commissioning single pilot planes as NASA has done in the past.[5] Drones are also being tested for aerial firefighting. These drones are designed to drop balls that ignite into flames and burn grass to prevent wildfires from spreading.[6]
In sensitive ecological areas, drones can be useful for conservation efforts. In 2014, a team of college students created a biodegradable drone that can monitor and collect data from these areas without causing destruction.[7] People are already considering the potential military applications of a drone that could quickly decompose if it crashed in enemy territory.[7]
Military
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 An Animated History of the Drone. YouTube. Mashable, 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Soften, John February. "A Brief History of Drones." The Nation. The Nation Company, LLC, 7 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bowden, Mark. "How the Predator Drone Changed the Character of War." Smithsonian Magazine Nov. 2013: n. pag. Smithsonian.com. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ Masters, Jonathan. "Targeted Killings." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 23 May 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Vanian, Jonathan. "NASA Is Flying A Huge Drone Over Hurricane Matthew." Fortune. Time Inc., 08 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ Brocious, Ariana. "Drones That Launch Flaming Balls Are Being Tested To Help Fight Wildfires." Morning Edition. NPR. Michigan, 3 Aug. 2016. Radio. Transcript.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Li, Shirley. "A Drone for the Environment." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
