Are you aware of drone technology? It’s a very interesting new tool being used by the United States military and other organizations. What exactly is this amazing new technology? Is it dangerous? Is it worth investing in as we look toward the future?
First, let me explain what drone technology is all about. This is not about the remote control hobbyist helicopter that you are so familiar with. It actually covers much more. The UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is the fancy name for these aircraft. They are also sometimes referred to as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and sometimes as remotely piloted vehicles. This is not just a name change; they’re going to be calling your UAV “remotely piloted vehicle” which is much better than saying remote control.
Drones are typically used by the military for a wide variety of purposes. One such use is to take Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and drop them from airplanes or helicopters and then let them fly around and scout out trouble spots on the ground. They can literally go out on a “hunting” mission without human help and scout out areas without being seen. If a military unit is in danger of being surrounded by enemy forces, or if they are in need of additional eyes or ears on the ground, using UAVs is a smart move on their part. Plus, it makes a lot of sense from a surveillance standpoint.
Now let’s look at the civilian world and what drone technology can do for you. You’ve probably seen news reports or even seen commercials on television featuring planes flying over cities and dropping leaflets or pamphlets. The reason for these releases of aerial vehicles is usually to notify citizens that a plane is flying overhead. A great example would be the release of UAVs to drop Red Bull energy drink cans into areas where energy conservation efforts are being made to save the environment.
But what if you don’t need the added visibility of an airplane to deliver your message? What if you had UAVs dropping leaflets and other pamphlets on your lawn or sending your kids off to school with a virtual reality game or learning how to play a particular sport that involves UAVs? That’s right, that very same drone technology could be used to drop leaflets and other information on someone’s lawn without actually having to put a flight simulation together with a remote control. With the correct software and hardware, you could have a “robot lawn mower” dropping leaflets or information on someone’s lawn virtually without ever putting a UAV in the air. It would make a perfect device for both the military and the private citizen.
Is it hard to imagine that with the proper software, drone technology can handle more than one task at a time? Well, it isn’t hard to imagine, but it’s not as easy as it looks. It takes a lot of programming and software expertise to program a UAVs autonomous operation. It also means that it is nearly impossible to program something like this to perform a task more than once. That’s why the military will always use UAVs, as they can only fly a specific number of times before they must be brought down.
The future of UAVs might point to the military using UAVs as a primary detachment method, or as a way for law enforcement to use robotic vehicles to capture criminals or to apprehend dangerous fugitives. This may very well pave the way for new applications in the private sector, as more organizations and businesses decide to embrace the latest drone technology. In fact, there are already a number of companies developing new autonomous UAVs that could very well replace traditional aircraft. Will they succeed, or will they fail? Only time will tell.
For now, though, we can look toward the positive side of drone technology. As we move into the future, we’ll find that UAVs are on the cutting edge of both military and commercial applications. This means that they can do much more than collect data or transmit signals; they can actually deliver a live search and rescue message from remote locations. They can also monitor the integrity of our food supply, allowing us to see if imports or even foods within our own borders are safe to consume. A UAV can scan the area outside of a home and then send a distress signal should anything go wrong. As the UAVs and software become more sophisticated, their capabilities will continue to grow.
