A drone is an aerial vehicle that either receives remote commands from a pilot or relies on software for autonomous flight. The technology is now widely used in sectors like videography, agriculture and search and rescue. Most drones are propeller-equipped and feature cameras for visual data collection. The most common drones are small and relatively inexpensive, but there are also more sophisticated models designed for commercial use. Drones are able to fly for longer periods of time than previous remote-controlled devices because they use lithium batteries and contain advanced collision sensors.
The FAA is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that regulates and oversees civil aviation in the country. Its primary objective is to ensure air safety. Its drone regulations stipulate that drones must be registered before being operated, be operated only in designated airspace and follow a pre-programmed procedure in case of an emergency. These procedures are designed to prevent drones from colliding with other aircraft or obstacles on the ground.
Drone: The Most Popular Drones to Buy in 2019
A drone (also known as an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV) is a small, lightweight, remotely controlled aircraft that can be piloted with the help of a computerized system or by itself. It is often equipped with a camera for aerial imaging and can be used to capture high-quality video, photographs and 3D imagery. Drones have become increasingly popular in the consumer market and are used for a variety of purposes, including recreation, photography, cinematography and filmmaking, agriculture, search and rescue, and shipping.
In the past, drone was sometimes used as a pejorative term for someone who is employed in menial, low-wage labor. The term may have been influenced by the distinctive sound produced by drones, as well as its association with monotonous work. However, today the most popular use of drone is to describe a repetitive, mindless activity that can be difficult to complete.
Drone can also refer to the sound produced by a bag-pipe when it is played in a slow and deliberate manner, creating a continuous, dull tone. In fact, the word is so common in this context that it has entered the language as a verb, meaning to drone on, as in “The speaker droned on and on about her research.”
A device that measures acceleration or fast changes in movement, such as an accelerometer. A drone’s flight controller (its central processing unit) uses an accelerometer to assist with its flight stabilization.
The FAA defines altitude as the distance above sea level that a drone is flying, e.g. 100 feet above sea level would be considered to be flying at altitude of 100 feet. A drone’s GPS sensors are able to detect its position and transmit its location, enhancing the safety of flights as it can be seen by air traffic control and manned aircraft equipped with ADS-B receivers.
A drone’s gyroscope is the mechanism that keeps it balanced and stable in flight. It is able to rotate in three different dimensions, called roll, pitch and yaw. A drone that rolls is moving in a clockwise direction, while one that pitches moves upwards or downwards. A drone that yaws is rotating around its vertical axis, or more precisely, the z-axis.