Introduction about UAV

UAV: FRIEND or FOE

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV ;also known as a remotely piloted vehicle or RPV) is an aircraft that flies without a human crew on board the aircraft.There is a wide variety of UAV shapes, sizes, configurations, and characteristics.To distinguish UAVs from missiles, a UAV is defined as a reusable, uncrewed vehicle capable of controlled, sustained motion powered by a jet or reciprocating engine.

The concept of unmanned aerial vehicles was first used in the American Civil War, when the North and the South tried to launch balloons with explosive devices that would fall into the other side’s ammunition depot and explode

The Curtiss/Sperry Aerial Torpedo made its first successful flight on 6 Mar 1918 at Long Island, NY.

In the 1960s, the US started to develop ‘drones’, which were unmanned vehicles built for spying and reconnaissance. This was after they lost a manned spy aircraft to the Russians.

There are many UAVs manufacturer & suppliers working around the world. Two of the well known manufacturers from these includes Northrop Grumman & General Atomics.

The UAVs can simply be controlled by sitting in the control room through GPS & other navigational systems.

 

Commercial Uses

• Agricultural Industry: UAVs equipped with fertilizer and pesticide dispersing equipment can be used to spray over large fields.
• Crop monitoring: Right now, only 10% of the crops in the world are being monitored by aircraft. Use of UAVs would greatly increase the region or area under surveillance.
• Coast watch: UAVs are being used by the coast guard for monitoring coastlines.
• Environmental control / weather research: Weather balloons are being used to monitor the weather on the ground.
• News broadcasting: UAVs are finding use in providing aerial video feeds for news events where reporters cannot get to in time.
• Air Traffic Control: UAVs can be used to monitor air traffic over busy airports.