Aerial drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's), have been used specifically by the U.S. military from the beginning. The very first drone was created in 1918, with the name of Kettering Bug, which was basically a flying bomb made of cardboard and paper mâché. Obviously since then technology has provided a much more sophisticated and modern way of going about these unmanned aerial vehicles to where today we use them as simple interactive and entertaining flying toys. The most used aerial drone by the U.S. Military currently costs an astounding $64.2 million (in certain cases). Apart from using drones in the military, we also use them for personal recreation use.
The kettering bug
Purpose
Modern drones can be used in many different activities such as taking pictures, satellite navigation, aerial maneuvering, racing, delivery, monitoring forestation, security, etc. Drones can be used in many different ways to satisfy our fascinations. Some drones are even capable of autonomous operations, which essentially allows the drone to complete an acquired command without using a remote control (or in other words auto-pilot). Drones today can fly up to 20 minutes, hover over several hundred feet, and even operate by remote access of a distance up to 1000 meters (~3280 feet). Sometimes commercial drones can weigh less than four ounces and are small enough to fit comfortably in your pocket (1).
Features
Some of the technological advances that have recently been integrated into commercial drones are jaw dropping. A few examples of this are: motion tracking, solar power, obstacle avoidance, increased battery life, thermal scanning, facial recognition, 3D mapping, autonomous flying (auto-pilot), live streaming, and Wi-Fi capabilities. Many of the listed features can be directly related to technological advances made by the military as a result of their unmanned aerial vehicles used in combat. These advances pass down commercially, allowing customers in the private sector to experience a wide variety of adventures from a smaller-scaled drone which they can take home and use in their own backyard. It is important to remember that drones are also being regulated federally, which applies when drones are 0.55 lbs to 55 lbs. If one were to use a drone for buissness they must also have a Remote Pilot Airman Certificate (3).
The new Karma drone from GoPro
Impacts
The fact that drones are becoming an increasingly more popular product will definitely have an effect on the economy and our future way of life. According to businessinsider.com, “By 2015, the U.S. economy is expected to see an $82 billion boost and the creation of 100,000+ jobs as a direct result of the opportunities surrounding the commercial drone industry.” The growth in drone-related markets shows a steady 19% increase in purchase and use, and is expected to do so until the year 2020. In contrast, UAV drones have only had an effect of 5% growth rate in the military market (2). With the development of different software applications being created, it's almost impossible to think of a single action that a drone couldn’t do in the near future. The capability of engineering more sophisticated drones (which makes them cheaper to customize) will only be limited to the imagination of the human mind or future laws and regulations surrounding such an amazing technological tool.
Top Drone Manufacturers and Companies 2017
Drones "capture the fancy of many, from hobbyists to surveyors, tech leaders, tech-savvy enthusiasts, tech investors and business and decision leaders worldwide." For this reason so many companies have made themselves widely known for drone production and have come to make many advances themselves in their selective industries (4). Here are a list of some of the top drone manufacturing companies:
DJI (Dajiang) Innovations
DJI spark has autonomous function (autopilot)
AeroVironment
Ambarella
Boeing
GoPro
Lockheed Martin (LMT)
3D Robotics
Parrot SA
Yuneec
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Sources
(1) “Common drone types and capabilities.” Common drone types and capabilities, 18 Sept. 2016, www.airsafe.com/issues/drones/drone-types.htm. Accessed 30 Sept. 2017.
(2) Desjardins, Jeff. “Economic-Impact-of-Commercial-Drones.” Here's how commercial drones grew out of the battlefield, 15 Dec. 2016, doi:10.1177/237455680202.n9. Accessed 30 Sept. 2017.
(4) Joshi, Divya. “Here are the world's largest drone companies and manufacturers to watch and invest in.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 18 July 2017, www.businessinsider.com/top-drone-manufacturers-companies-invest-stocks- 2017-07.
Aerial Drones
Aerial drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's), have been used specifically by the U.S. military from the beginning. The very first drone was created in 1918, with the name of Kettering Bug, which was basically a flying bomb made of cardboard and paper mâché. Obviously since then technology has provided a much more sophisticated and modern way of going about these unmanned aerial vehicles to where today we use them as simple interactive and entertaining flying toys. The most used aerial drone by the U.S. Military currently costs an astounding $64.2 million (in certain cases). Apart from using drones in the military, we also use them for personal recreation use.Purpose
Modern drones can be used in many different activities such as taking pictures, satellite navigation, aerial maneuvering, racing, delivery, monitoring forestation, security, etc. Drones can be used in many different ways to satisfy our fascinations. Some drones are even capable of autonomous operations, which essentially allows the drone to complete an acquired command without using a remote control (or in other words auto-pilot). Drones today can fly up to 20 minutes, hover over several hundred feet, and even operate by remote access of a distance up to 1000 meters (~3280 feet). Sometimes commercial drones can weigh less than four ounces and are small enough to fit comfortably in your pocket (1).
Features
Some of the technological advances that have recently been integrated into commercial drones are jaw dropping. A few examples of this are: motion tracking, solar power, obstacle avoidance, increased battery life, thermal scanning, facial recognition, 3D mapping, autonomous flying (auto-pilot), live streaming, and Wi-Fi capabilities. Many of the listed features can be directly related to technological advances made by the military as a result of their unmanned aerial vehicles used in combat. These advances pass down commercially, allowing customers in the private sector to experience a wide variety of adventures from a smaller-scaled drone which they can take home and use in their own backyard. It is important to remember that drones are also being regulated federally, which applies when drones are 0.55 lbs to 55 lbs. If one were to use a drone for buissness they must also have a Remote Pilot Airman Certificate (3).
Impacts
The fact that drones are becoming an increasingly more popular product will definitely have an effect on the economy and our future way of life. According to businessinsider.com, “By 2015, the U.S. economy is expected to see an $82 billion boost and the creation of 100,000+ jobs as a direct result of the opportunities surrounding the commercial drone industry.” The growth in drone-related markets shows a steady 19% increase in purchase and use, and is expected to do so until the year 2020. In contrast, UAV drones have only had an effect of 5% growth rate in the military market (2). With the development of different software applications being created, it's almost impossible to think of a single action that a drone couldn’t do in the near future. The capability of engineering more sophisticated drones (which makes them cheaper to customize) will only be limited to the imagination of the human mind or future laws and regulations surrounding such an amazing technological tool.
Top Drone Manufacturers and Companies 2017
Drones "capture the fancy of many, from hobbyists to surveyors, tech leaders, tech-savvy enthusiasts, tech investors and business and decision leaders worldwide." For this reason so many companies have made themselves widely known for drone production and have come to make many advances themselves in their selective industries (4). Here are a list of some of the top drone manufacturing companies:- DJI (Dajiang) Innovations
DJI spark has autonomous function (autopilot)
- AeroVironment
- Ambarella
- Boeing
- GoPro
- Lockheed Martin (LMT)
- 3D Robotics
- Parrot SA
- Yuneec
- Northrop Grumman Corporation
Sources(1) “Common drone types and capabilities.” Common drone types and capabilities, 18 Sept. 2016, www.airsafe.com/issues/drones/drone-types.htm. Accessed 30 Sept. 2017.
(2) Desjardins, Jeff. “Economic-Impact-of-Commercial-Drones.” Here's how commercial drones grew out of the battlefield, 15 Dec. 2016, doi:10.1177/237455680202.n9. Accessed 30 Sept. 2017.
(3) "Getting Started" https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/ U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration. accessed 14th Oct. 2017
(4) Joshi, Divya. “Here are the world's largest drone companies and manufacturers to watch and invest in.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 18 July 2017, www.businessinsider.com/top-drone-manufacturers-companies-invest-stocks- 2017-07.