The drone as a service market is a booming sector for
cinematographers and helps streamline infrastructure inspection in industries
such as mining, oil and gas, military, and agriculture. Since regulations for drones
as a service have relaxed, aerial drone technology is continually evolving to bring
new investments and innovation to the expanding market.
As a fast-moving industry, staying up to speed on aerial
drone technology and drone control requires keeping up with the latest and
greatest innovations and features.
Aerial Drone 101
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aircraft are made of
lightweight, composite materials to increase maneuverability and decrease noise.
The composite material strength allows military drones to cruise at high
altitudes.
An aerial drone
comes in two parts: the drone itself and the drone control system. Drones come
in a wide variety of sizes, with larger drones mostly used for military
purposes.
Aerial Drone Technology Features
The following are popular features of drone technology.
Flight Radar & Return Home
Flight radar displays the current position and location of
the drone in relation to the pilot. When the drone exceeds the control range of
the remote control, “Return-to-Home” is triggered. The drone will fly itself
back to the takeoff point and land safely.
Real-Time Flight Details on Mobile
This allows you to see what your drone sees and keep track
of current flight telemetry on your smartphone.
No Fly Zone Technology
To increase flight safety, some models include a “No Fly
Zone” feature to prevent accidental flights into restricted areas.
First Person View (FPV) Technology
First Person View is when a video camera is mounted on the
drone and broadcasts live video to the pilot on the ground. This offers the
viewpoint of flying onboard the aerial drone instead of looking at the craft
from the ground. Pilots can fly drones higher and further with more precise
flying around obstacles from a fixed position.
Flight Assistant Port and Firmware
The drone control system can communicate with a PC Assistant
through a micro-USB cable. This allows configuration of the drone and to
upgrade the firmware. Updates can fix bugs and add new features.
UAV Remote Control System
The drone and remote control system are paired before
leaving the factory. The drone control
is a wireless communication device.
Range Extender
If you go out of range, the range extender is a wireless
communication device that operates on a lower frequency. It can extend
communication between the smartphone or tablet and the drone in open, unobstructed
areas. Distance with extenders can reach up to 700 meters and each has a unique
MAC address and network name.
While some drones out of the box can fly up to 3.1 miles, range
extenders are popular to push the distance even further.
Drone Operating Systems
While some aerial drones use MS Windows operating systems,
more UAV innovators are using different versions of Linux. The Linux Foundation
recently launched the Dronecode Project, a collaborative project bringing
together existing and future UAV projects under a nonprofit structure. This
offers a shared open source platform for UAVs.
Intelligent Flight Systems
The latest drones have intelligent flight control and modes
including Active Tracking, Waypoints, Follow Me, Return to Home, and many
others.
Drone Uses
Drones have so many uses for drone as a service. With cameras, sensors, thermal, and more, the list
of drone uses continues to grow and expand.
At Insitu, we specialize in government defense and
commercial UAVs and software solutions. Get in touch to learn more.
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