Chapter 1
Drones 101
In This Chapter
Getting a brief history of drones
Knowing the various types of drones
Understanding the different uses for drones
In this chapter, you take a close look at various types of drones and their applications. You gain an understanding of the differences between drones, UAVs, and RC devices. You even see how drones are used in modern warfare, as well as how they were used in world wars.
Many different types of drones are available for the general public. In this chapter, you see the differences between planes, helicopters, multi-copters, and tiltrotors. You get a glimpse of how average Joes are using drones for hobby flying, aerial video, and aerial photography. You even get a look at how drones are being used for commercial purposes by high-flying drone companies.
Before the chapter kicks off, please make sure that your seatbacks and tray tables are in their upright and locked positions. Ensure your carryon is stowed under the seat in front of you, and your seatbelt is securely fastened low and across your waist. It’s time for take-off!
What Are Drones?
When you hear the word drone, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you’re like most people, you have visions of military jet-powered aircraft taking out bad guys in a warzone. Or maybe you think of a helicopter hovering outside your home gathering surveillance footage of your mom’s secret meatloaf recipe. A high-powered, very high-tech, unmanned aircraft is what probably comes to mind, as shown in Figure 1-1.
Source: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain
Figure 1-1: High-tech drones.
The term drone is somewhat misleading when used to describe the high-flying marvels of modern technology. In reality, drones were not always so high-tech. Drones date back as far as the mid 1800s, when the Austrians used balloons filled with bombs to attack Venice. The balloons were launched with a trajectory but there were no advanced piloting controls to guide them to their intended destination. Drones also appeared in the 1900s when they were used by the American military for target practice as a mode of training troops.
It wasn’t until the 1930s that remotely piloted vehicles, RPVs for short, were developed. RPVs were first rolled out to train anti-aircraft gunners going into World War II. They were later used to carry out attack runs on Nazi Germany. Remotely Piloted Vehicles are unmanned aircraft that are controlled by a pilot or piloting system located outside of the vehicle. Figure 1-2 shows a World War II era RPV.
Source: Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Space Flight: Kettering Bug
Figure 1-2: World War II era RPV.
RPVs are high-tech versions of the hobbyist’s remote controlled (RC) aircraft. Remote controlled aircraft are aerial vehicles that are controlled by a ground operator using a handheld piloting system that communicates using radio frequencies. Hobbyists around the world have been flying RC planes since the ’40s and ’50s.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV, is the term most commonly used today to described what the world has come to know as drones. UAVs can be controlled using a milieu of high-tech communication protocols like GPS and other satellite communications. UAVs can be remotely piloted by a human, team of humans, or a computerized piloting system. UAVs can also be fully autonomous. How’s that for artificial intelligence? Autonomous UAVs are given instructions and then they take off, fly, carry out orders, and land. All without the assistance of humans.
Other terms used to describe drones include remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), remotely operated aircraft (ROA), unmanned aircraft system (UAS), and just recently the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) adopted the term Unmanned Aircraft (UA) to describe aircraft without flight crew. For the sake of consistency throughout this book, and to be congruent with current trends and vernacular, we will use the term drone to describe the high-tech consumer and commercial drones that we all know and love.
Drones and the Military
Drones have played a role in the theater of war for over a century. From the bomb-filled balloons of the 19th century to modern drones that resemble something from science fiction, drones have evolved as they have taken center stage in modern warfare and domestic security operations. Currently, the CIA uses drones primarily to carry out surveillance, although they have some authority to use drones to carry out strikes. The U.S. Armed Forces use drones to carry-out surveillance and combat missions and the department of homeland security uses drones to monitor the American borders.
The U.S. Government currently uses and is testing several high-tech drones, called unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, for short. The following sections offer a brief description and photo of each of the UAS.
General Atomics Predator
The Predator drone was first conceived in the early 1990s but didn’t actually see use by the federal government until the mid to late ’90s. It was originally used for surveillance and reconnaissance but later was fitted with a combat payload, primarily Hellfire missiles which are an air-to-surface, 100 lbs., rocket-powered missile. The predator’s remote piloting system has evolved greatly since the ’90s. Advancements in satellite technology has made it possible to manage remote takeoff, landing, and flight from thousands of miles away. There are several hundred predators in use by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the CIA but they will be slowly phased out and replaced by the newer version, the Reaper. Figure 1-3 shows the USAF’s Predator drone.
Source: U.S. Air Force photo/Lt Col Leslie Pratt
Figure 1-3: The USAF’s Predator drone.
General Atomics Reaper
The Reaper is the newest evolution of the famed predator drone. It is faster, more powerful, and more capable in surveillance and combat scenarios. The reaper can fly for 42 hours without a munitions payload and 12 hours with a full munitions payload. The reaper is also capable of carrying several different arms such as laser guided bombs, air-to-surface missiles like the Hellfire, and it will soon be capable of carrying and using air-to-air attack missiles for aerial combat. The Reaper is staked with surveillance capabilities and is rumored to be able to read a license plate from a distance of 2 miles. The advancements in technologies have made the reaper a prime candidate for domestic surveillance, disaster assistance, border monitoring, and homeland security. Figure 1-4 shows the USAF’s Reaper drone.
Source: United States Air Force photo by Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr.
Figure 1-4: The USAF’s Reaper drone.
Elbit Systems Hermes 450
The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Armed Forces use the Hermes 450 primarily for surveillance and reconnaissance. The Hermes 450 can fly at high-altitudes for extended periods of time, making it extremely useful for monitoring large stretches of open territory. The Hermes has yet to be fit with a munitions payload to allow it to have attack capabilities in a combat scenario. Figure 1-5 shows the Department of Homeland Security’s Hermes 450 drone.
Source: Gerald L. Nino.
Figure 1-5: Department of Homeland Security’s Hermes 450.
Northrup Gruman Global Hawk
First developed in 1998, the Global Hawk went through several revisions before it made its debut in the U.S. Air Force’s arsenal of surveillance tools. The Global Hawk set several world records, one of which being the first un-manned aerial vehicle to cross the Pacific Ocean when it flew from Edwards Air Force Base to RAAF Base Edinburgh in Australia. The flight totaled more than 8200 miles. The Global Hawk also set endurance records by flying for more than 33 hours at altitudes topping 60,000 feet. The Global Hawk is primarily used for global surveillance. Figure 1-6 shows the Global Hawk long-range drone.
Source: U.S. Air Force photo by Bobbi Zapka
Figure 1-6: The Northrup GrumanGlobal Hawk.
Boeing X-37B
Originally developed by Boeing for NASA, the X-37B is classified as an Orbital Test Vehicle or (OTV). The USAF has conducted three missions with the X-37B and has thus far been very secretive on the test missions as well as the intended uses of the X-37B. The most recent flight of the X-37B saw it remain in low orbit for 674 days before being guided back to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The X-37B is nearly 30 feet in length and 10 feet in height. Its orbital cruising speed is slightly over 17,000 miles per hour. Figure 1-7 shows the Boeing X-37B.
Source: US Air Force
Figure 1-7: The Classified Boeing X-37B, Orbital Test Vehicle.
Smaller drones
The U.S. Armed Forces also use small drones for carrying out battlefield reconnaissance, laser target for missile strikes, and general surveillance. Smaller drones can be launched by hand and remotely piloted using GPS or by first person view. These systems can carry out orders with or without human intervention, making them excellent options for autonomous, constant surveillance.
Growth in Consumer Drones
While the majority of the world’s media pines over the plight of modern warfare with unmanned aerial war machines, a bigger story is brewing elsewhere in the world. The booming consumer drone industry is doing just that, booming! The consumer drone industry is a relatively new industry and growing at an estimated rate of 15–20% annually. Ironically enough, in the United States, arguably the largest consumer market in the world, the FAA has yet to release an updated set of laws to make commercial use of drones legal. They’ve also not outlined any sort of legislation necessarily making it illegal (more on that in Chapter 7). When a clear set of legal operating guidelines are released, there is no telling where the drone market might go.
Part of the reason for the boom is that advances in technology have made it easier for high-end hardware and software to be developed and prototyped at a lower cost. These lower prices make it easier for a large amount of people to gain access to a product, but the real driver behind the surge in drone popularity is in the uses for drones. Drones have attracted more than just model airplane hobbyists and flight hobbyists. The technology advances in flight technology, flight modes, and controls along with the advancements in portable photography and video technology has caused an explosion with amateur and professional photographers and videographers. Who needs high-end video cranes when you can couple a small action camera, like a GoPro, with a drone, as shown in Figure 1-8.
Source: bjoern.gramm/Creative Commons
Figure 1-8: Drone with a GoPro action camera.
The growth in drone popularity can also be seen in the number of drone companies that launched in 2014 and secured funding by launching crowdfunding campaigns that spread virally across the internet. (Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.)
Hexo+ raised $1.3 million, Airdroids raised $1.36 million, Robot Dragonfly raised $1.14 million, and Indianapolis-based Airdroids raised nearly $1 million for their compact Pocket Drone.
There are several types of drones currently available for purchase by consumers. These types include planes or gliders, helicopters, multi-copters or multi-rotors, and tiltrotors. The following sections discuss each type in detail.
Planes
Remote controlled airplanes have been around for quite some time in the model aircraft world. These devices achieve flight through horizontal takeoff, meaning they gain speed across the ground until enough air moves across the wings to force the plane off the ground and into the air.
Planes also land horizontally, and since their ability to remain airborne requires forward momentum, they do not have the capability to hover in place or move vertically. Planes and gliders can only, and always must, move forward.
Figure 1-9 shows an airplane drone.
Source: wikipedia.org/New_Bethesda
Figure 1-9: Airplane drone.
Helicopters
These aircraft have two sets of propellers, often referred to as rotors. The main rotor is used to create lift to get the aircraft airborne and thrust to move the aircraft forward. The second rotor is used for directional control and stability of the helicopter. Because helicopters do not require thrust to become and remain airborne, they can move forward, backward, and strafe.
Strafing means moving side to side without changing your directional orientation. For example, you facing forward sidestep to the right or left. This movement is called strafing.
Figure 1-10 shows a helicopter drone.
Source: Paul Chapman/Creative Commons
Figure 1-10: Helicopter drone.
Multi-copters
If helicopters have two rotors then a multi-copter has more than two. One of the benefits to having a multi-copter, also referred to as a multi-rotor, is that the mechanics involved with flight controls are much simpler. The directional control of a multi-copter is handled by adjusting the speed of each rotor. Multi-copters are the most common commercial drones because of their ease of construction and control. Figure 1-11 shows a multi-copter drone.
Source: Nicolas Halftemeyer/Creative Commons
Figure 1-11: Multi-copter drone.
Tiltrotors
Tiltrotors function in a manner that appears to be a cross between planes and helicopters. On these aircraft, the rotors are positioned above the aircraft to allow for vertical takeoff. The rotors slowly shift forward (toward the nose of the aircraft) as the aircraft gains momentum. This changes the roll of the rotors from creating the lift for vertical takeoff, to creating the thrust thus making the wings responsible for creating the lift. Currently, there are no commercially available tiltrotor drones. Figure 1-12 is a picture of a tiltrotor aircraft.
Source:United States Coast Guard, PA3 Bridget Hieronymu
Figure 1-12: Tiltrotor aircraft.
Popular Uses for Drones
In the United States, the organization that controls all air traffic (private and commercial) is the FAA, which stands for the Federal Aviation Administration. In 2012, the U.S. Congress passed a law requiring the FAA to issue rules for legalizing the commercial usage of drones in the United States by September of 2015. Currently, drone usage is protected under the FAA’s regulations pertaining to recreational and hobby uses as long as the drone is under 55 lbs. With no good way of monitoring or policing drone usage, however, there have been many private individuals, companies, farmers, small businesses, and so on that have begun using drones to help them get work done faster, smarter, and at lower risk and liabilities. The following sections describe the most common domestic uses for drones.
Remote sensing
Drones can carry sensing equipment to assist with any number of functions. Geological surveying, agriculture, archeology, and several other industries can benefit greatly from the myriad of sensors that can be packed into a drone. Here are just a few examples of how the agricultural industry, for example, uses aerial sensors:
- Drones can use Lidar to measure the height of crops. Lidar is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating an object with a laser (near-infrared or UV) and then measuring what is reflected back.
- Heat sensors detect the temperature of livestock, the presence of water, water temperature, and for surveillance and emergency response (if someone is injured in a remote field away from heavy equipment).
- Multi-spectral instruments can count plants (crop density), check the health of plants, and even assess water quality.
- Visual spectrum sensors make it possible to survey and map land.
- Biological sensors can be used to take air quality readings and check for the presence of specific micro-organisms or organic compounds.
Commercial aerial surveillance
When you hear surveillance, chances are good that you think about security cameras designed to catch lawbreakers. Or possibly spying and monitoring of your personal movements and actions. Here are just a few ways that aerial surveillance can be helpful:
- Farmers use drones to monitor livestock on vast spreads of land.
- Fire departments can use drones to track and map wild fires.
- Private companies can use drones to monitor their infrastructure such as pipelines, buildings, and so on.
- Using drones to inspect power lines, towers, tall structures like chimneys and roofs would save businesses vast amounts of money and would reduce liability exposure from having humans in harm’s way.
Commercial and motion picture filmmaking
In 2014, the Motion Picture Association, backed by seven companies, petitioned the FAA to allow the use of drones in video and filmmaking. Drones dramatically reduce the cost associated with gathering action or aerial footage that up until now would require expensive equipment like booms and dollies or even helicopters or other manned aircraft. In September of 2014, the FAA issued permits to six film studios for the use of drones in filmmaking. Drones are also being used to gather footage in sporting events because of their ability to maneuver into locations that cable-suspended cameras cannot reach. Most recently, drones were used to gather footage of the skiing and snowboarding events in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
Oil, gas, and mineral exploration
With the help of specific electromagnetic sensors, drones can be used to gather geological information to help geophysicists identify and better approximate the location and presence of minerals, oil, and natural gas.
Disaster relief
The milieu of sensors that can be packed into a drone can be used to help locate and save life in the midst of natural disasters. Drones can be used to gather and deliver medical samples, supplies, and medicine to remote or otherwise unreachable areas in a disaster zone. Drones can also use infrared sensors to detect humans by their heat signature which is helpful in search and rescue scenarios.
Real estate and construction
Drones have made it possible to survey land and gather information at job sites. Realtors, developers, and builders have also begun using drones to gather video and imagery for home and building inspections and marketing materials to assist the selling process.
Recreational use
Needless to say, drones can be extremely useful devices for a plethora of applications ranging from agriculture to national security. However, you can’t forget that drones are also really fun to use, which is probably why you are reading this book in the first place! The miracle of flight is something that has fascinated man for millennia, so it’s no wonder that hobby flight enthusiasts have been tinkering with flying machines since the late 1800s.
The good news is that personal and hobby use of drones is perfectly legal in the United States. Recreational flying can be done anywhere but is best if done in open locations so that you can always see your aircraft. This is called line-of-sight flying. Attaching a camera to your drone is also a lot of fun for gathering beautiful imagery and video of the world around you.
Until the emergence of drones, to take aerial photos or videos, you needed a really tall ladder or a friend with a helicopter/plane to be able to capture the footage. A word of caution, be careful of who, what, and where you take photos and video with your drone. Privacy is a major concern for many people. Chapter 7 touches on some laws and etiquette for flying your drone.
Hobby groups and flying clubs exist all around the globe; plugging into a group is a great way to meet other people passionate about flying. It’s also a great way to learn how to fly, learn new techniques, service and maintain your aircraft, and more.
High-Flying Drone Companies
As the drone market continues to explode over the next several years and decades, there will be numerous companies getting into the fray. Currently there are several companies making a lot of noise in the world of unmanned aerial vehicles. You may find it worthwhile to check them out so that you can be in the know on what’s going on in drone town.
Google X is a secretive department within Google that’s sole purpose is to develop major revolutionary technology. Several initiatives have already become public out of the Google X department, including self-driving cars, Project Wing, and Glass. But the most relevant is Project Wing, Google’s automated drone program. Project Wing has become a little more public now that Google has begun testing in remote areas of Australia. Their drone model is designed for long-range, low-energy delivery of materials to remote areas. It is also likely to evolve as they continue to test and innovate.
DHL
DHL is a major global package delivery service based out of Germany. They recently announced that they have begun using their Parcelcopter to conduct delivers of medical supplies to a German island. The flight is largely automated through computer controls and it takes roughly 15 minutes each-way and is primarily a long-term test of the new technology. Their long-term vision is to use drone technology to service customers in remote and inaccessible areas.
Amazon
Amazon is one of the largest e-retailers in the world. Their growth is attributed largely to the leadership of CEO Jeff Bezos. Amazon recently unveiled their drone delivery program called Prime Air, which aims to get packages into the hands of customers in 30 minutes or less. The Prime Air delivery service was developed in Amazon’s next generation R&D lab and is poised for launch in 2015 when the FAA officially puts into place legislation governing commercial UAV usage.
Facebook is another household name that has opted to get into the drone business. Facebook’s primary motivator, however, is to create a system for delivering Internet access to remote areas of the world that do not yet have access to the Internet. Facebook is working to create ultra-light, solar powered planes that can fly almost indefinitely broadcasting ultra-high wireless signals to these parts of the world. What’s exciting about this is the potential to revolutionize wireless communications.
GoPro
GoPro is an action camera company that exploded on the scene by offering great quality video solutions for action sports enthusiasts regardless of their environment. GoPro cameras are used in pretty much every action sport. They have water proof housings, capture high quality footage, and they are small enough to fit on a headband or attached to the body of a drone. GoPro cameras and drones go together like peanut butter and jelly. So much so that GoPro is planning to release their own drone by 2016! More on the camera itself in Chapter 3.