The Beginners Guide to Drones
When we see a drone the first thought, for some, is that it’s some highly specialized military weapon used for spying and the pilot sits miles away in a control room.
Sorry, but that is not how things are!
What is a drone?
In simple terms, a drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) i.e. no humans onboard which can be remotely controlled by either a human or by a computer. It is like a flying robot which can even fly autonomously with the help of software-controlled flight plans in their embedded system, onboard sensors and GPS.
Drones are widely used by the military for drone attacks, intelligence gathering and even as weapons platforms. Recently, civilian UAVs also have become more and more popular. It can be used for traffic monitoring, drone photography, delivery services, agriculture and many more uses.
The tech behind it
An unmanned aircraft is made of lightweight and composite materials to reduce weight and increase manoeuvrability during the flight. The materials used to build a drone are complex composites which are designed to absorb vibrations and hence decrease the sound produced. Drones consist of powers sources like battery or fuel, rotors, propellers and a frame to achieve flight.
The drone has two main parts- the drone itself and the control system. The drone is controlled by a remote ground control system or a GSC also known as the ground cockpit. Using the controller, the operator can remotely control the launch, navigation and landing of the drone. Controllers communicate with the drone using radio waves and even Wi-Fi.
The different components:
- ESC or Electronic Speed Controller: It is an electronic circuit that controls the motor’s speed and direction.
- Flight controllers: This is a circuit board with all the sensors that detect the movement of drones. It controls the speed of the motors to make the drone move as instructed.
- GPS module: GPS is a navigation system which communicates the precise location of the drone to the controller. It is attached to the nose of the drones.
- Battery: They are reliable power sources for drones. The most commonly used are Lithium Batteries.
- Cameras: The new angles, perspectives and altitudes offered by drones allow photographers to capture scenes with more creativity and variety. Using drones, you can shoot videos without the limitations of a static camera.
- Sensors: The type of sensor that we use in our drone depends on the application of our drone. Some commonly used sensors are thermal sensors, orientation sensors, time-of-flight sensors and many more.
- Accelerometer: used for measuring speed
- Altimeter: used for measuring altitude. It helps keep the drone at a specific altitude.
- Antenna
- Receiver
Coming up next…
I know you have just been bombarded with too many technical terms but don’t worry!
Now that you have a basic understanding of drones and its components we will discuss all of these topics in-depth in our upcoming blogs.
Stick around for our next blog on BLDC (Brushless Direct Current) motors and ESC (Electronic Speed Controller).
