For the past years, drones have become very popular and have been used by different sectors of the economy. You may have seen them online covering footage of a disaster, creating a commercial for a company, or at departmental stores or the military. Today we’d be glad to tell you more about this type of technology, answering the question of “what is a drone?”, what they are used for and why they are so popular.
First and foremost, a drone is a term used to describe any unmanned aircraft. Most times, it’s usually referred to as a multi-rotor; a multi-rotor is designed with three or more propellers and can fly or hover in any direction or area. The most common type of multi-rotor is a quadcopter that’s got four propellers.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEATURES OF A DRONE?
Aside from flying, drones are designed with lots of amazing features, some of which include;
- Each drone possesses a built-in flight controller that helps keep it at equilibrium. If it gets tipped by a gust of wind during flight, the flight controller immediately adjusts the speed of the propeller to re-balance it. This feature makes flying a drone a lot easier for beginners.
- Most drones have cameras. This allows them to view things from the drone’s perspective. This camera can be used to record videos, so you’ll get good footage of what your drone is hovering over or at any angle.
- Some drones have got additional amazing features that allow them to carry out cool stuff like flying autonomously. Today, some companies are testing drone deliveries of products, ranging from food to mail and medicine, for disaster relief.
Note that drones come in various designs and sizes to choose from. They can be very small or big, with the smaller ones costing not less than $20 and can easily fit into the palm of your hand. Most of these types do not come with cameras.
The bigger drones always come with high-quality cameras and may possess advanced features. You can purchase large drones from companies like Parrot, Yunee, or DJI, with prices ranging from $100 to $500. However, high-end drones typically cost thousands of dollars.
ARE THEY POSSIBLE DOWNSIDES TO DRONES?
Everything in this life has advantages and disadvantages; well, drones aren’t an exception here. Below are the notable downsides attached to drone technology.
- Crashes – Just like aircraft, drones can crash into buildings, cars, or even people. With a propeller that spins quickly, they’re capable of causing injuries or damages.
- Privacy: With drones, people can have good footage of almost everything they want, and people tend to abuse this opportunity. They tend to fly drones across other properties. Though they are laws restricting where a drone can fly, some users choose not to respect them.
- Drones, at times, are a hazard to full-sized helicopters and airplanes and can cause interruptions to firefighters and rescue missions. In several cases, wildfires spread fast due to a drone flying nearby, which prevents firefighting planes and helicopters from getting to the fire.
