Difference between revisions of "Drones"

Revision as of 22:43, 20 February 2017

Drones, more formally known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are aircrafts without human pilots that can operate either autonomously or by remote control.^[1] Drone technology was originally developed for military applications but has now been applied more generally to other tasks considered too dangerous, difficult, or expensive for manned aircraft.

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.^[2] In 1915, British armed forces used aerial imagery to capture maps of German fortifications.^[2] Aerial mapping is now used widely for both military and civil purposes. The U.S. produced the first remote-controlled aircraft in 1939.^[2] However, pilots were still needed for takeoff.^[3]

Israel developed unpiloted surveillance machines in 1973, later collaborating with the U.S. to produce a reconnaissance drone.^[2] In 1994, the Pentagon produced the first generation of Predator drones, initially armed solely with surveillance cameras but later approved to carry missiles.^[2] These surveillance drones could provide 60-mile panoramic views.^[4]

After 9/11, a targeted killing campaign was approved to eliminate specific individuals.^[5] The first such attack by a drone occurred in 2002 when the target was incorrectly assumed to be Osama bin Laden.^[3]

Since then, the U.S. has completed numerous drone strikes in countries such as Pakistan and Somalia.^[3] The Federal Aviation Administration has approved 934 government agencies in the U.S. to operate drones.^[2] However, there has been much public debate about the ethics of drones due to numerous civilian casualties they have caused.^[4] This debate, in addition to concerns about privacy, has led 35 states to introduce legislation limiting drone use by government agencies.^[2]

Features

All drones are autonomous to some extent because they can fly or navigate without a human pilot.^[6] Although drones vary in size and capability, their general structure is similar to that of manned aircraft. Propellers are necessary for keeping drones airborne and stable.^[7] Electronic speed controllers (ESCs) deliver electricity to outrunner motors, which require a lot of power to spin the propellers of a drone.^[7] To make the drones self-reliant, flight controller boards, which can be updated to improve performance, have sensors that measure various aspects of movement.^[7] Smaller drones are generally operated by Lithium-polymer batteries that deliver high-energy bursts of power,^[7] but large drones rely on fuel similarly to traditional aircraft.^[8]

Drones are generally tracked remotely using a satellite link to a ground-control station.^[8] However, completely autonomous drones are being developed that use artificial intelligence to continuously learn and improve upon their specified operations.^[9] These drones also have radios that allow them to communicate with each other.^[9] Because autonomous drones can make decisions much more quickly than humans, there have been ethical concerns about their military applications.

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.^[10] This was a safer, cheaper option for collecting weather data than commissioning single pilot planes as NASA has done in the past.^[10] 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.^[11]

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.^[12] People are already considering the potential military applications of a drone that could quickly decompose if it crashed in enemy territory.^[12]

Surveillance

References

1. ↑ "Drones: What Are They and How Do They Work?" BBC News. BBC, 31 Jan. 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} An Animated History of the Drone. YouTube. Mashable, 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Soften, John February. "A Brief History of Drones." The Nation. The Nation Company, LLC, 7 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Bowden, Mark. "How the Predator Drone Changed the Character of War." Smithsonian Magazine Nov. 2013: n. pag. Smithsonian.com. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
5. ↑ Masters, Jonathan. "Targeted Killings." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 23 May 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
6. ↑ Pullen, John. "How Do Drones Work?" Time. Time, 3 Apr. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Yates, Darren. "How Drones Work." TechRadar. Future Plc, 23 July 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Cuadra, Alberto, and Craig Whitlock. "How Drones Are Controlled." The Washington Post. WP Company, 20 June 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} New Generation of Drones Set to Revolutionize Warfare. Prod. Mary Walsh. Perf. David Martin and Will Roper. 60 Minutes. CBS Interactive Inc., 8 Jan. 2017. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Vanian, Jonathan. "NASA Is Flying A Huge Drone Over Hurricane Matthew." Fortune. Time Inc., 08 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
11. ↑ Brocious, Ariana. "Drones That Launch Flaming Balls Are Being Tested To Help Fight Wildfires." Morning Edition. NPR. Michigan, 3 Aug. 2016. Radio. Transcript.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Li, Shirley. "A Drone for the Environment." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.