Introduction

“Drone” is the common name for an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV for short. UAVs
are vehicles that do not carry humans inside of them. They can be controlled by either
a human or by a computer. UAVs were originally used in the military to carry out tasks
that were either too difficult or too dangerous for humans to perform. Some
other military applications include drone surveillance and drone attacks.
DRONE stands for DYNAMIC REMOTELY OPERATED NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT.
 Types of Drones
• Based on the type of aerial platform used there are four types:
• 1. MULTI ROTOR DRONES : Multi Rotor drones are the most common types
of drones which are used by professionals and hobbyists alike. They are
used for most common applications like aerial photography, aerial video
surveillance etc.
• 2. FIXED WING DRONES : Fixed Wing drones are entirely different in design
and build to multi-rotor type drones. They use a ‘wing’ like the normal
airplanes out there. Unlike multi-rotor drones, fixed wing type models
never utilize energy to stay afloat on air (fixed wing types can’t stand still
on the air) fighting gravity. Instead, they move forward on their set course
or as set by the guide control (possibly a remote unit operated by a human)
as long as their energy source permits.
 Types of Drones
• 3. SINGLE ROTOR DRONES : Single rotor drones look very similar in design
& structure to actual helicopters. Unlike a multi rotor drone, a single roter
model has just one big sized rotor plus a small sized one on the tail of the
drone to control its heading. Single rotor drones are much efficient than
multi rotor versions. They have higher flying times and can even be
powered by gas engines. In aerodynamics, the lower the count of rotors
the lesser will be the spin of the object. And that’s the big reason why
quadcopters are more stable than octocopters. In that sense, single rotor
drones are much efficient than multi-rotor drones.
• 4. HYBRID VTOL : These are hybrid versions combining the benefits of Fixed
wing models (higher flying time) with that of rotor based models (hover).
This concept has been tested from around 1960’s without much success.
However, with the advent of new generation sensors (gyros and
accelerometers), this concept has got some new life and direction.
MULTI ROTOR DRONE
FIXED WING DRONES
SINGLE ROTOR DRONES
HYBRID VTOL
Drone Types And Sizes

• Drones come in a wide variety of sizes, with the largest being mostly used for
military purposes such as the Predator drone. The next in size are unmanned
aircraft, which have fixed wings and require short runways. These are generally
used to cover large areas, working in areas such as geographical surveying or to
combat wildlife poaching.
• VTOL Drones
• Next in size for drones are what is known as VTOL drones. Many of these are
quadcopters but not all. VTOL drones can take off, fly, hover and land vertically.
The exact meaning of VTOL is “Vertical Take-Off and Landing”.
• Many of the latest small drones such as the DJI Mavic Air and DJI Spark take VTOL
to the next levels and can be launched from the palm of your hand.
Radar Positioning & Return Home

• Many of the latest drones have dual Global Navigational Satellite Systems(GNSS) such as GPS and GLONASS.
• Drones can fly in both GNSS and non satellite modes. For example DJI drones can fly in P-Mode (GPS &
GLONASS) or ATTI mode, which doesn’t uses satellite navigation.
• Highly accurate drone navigation is very important when flying especially in drone applications such as
creating 3D maps, surveying landscape and SAR (Search & Rescue) missions.
• When the quadcopter is first switched on, it searches and detects GNSS satellites. High end GNSS systems
use Satellite Constellation technology. Basically, a satellite constellation is a group of satellites working
together giving coordinated coverage and synchronized so that they overlap well in coverage. Pass or
coverage is the period in which a satellite is visible above the local horizon.
• The radar technology in the drone will signal the following on the remote controller display;
• signal that enough drone GNSS satellites have been detected and the drone is ready to fly
• display the current position and location of the drone in relation to the pilot
• record the home point for ‘Return To Home’ safety feature
Obstacle Detection And Collision
Avoidance Technology
• Many drones are now equipped with collision avoidance systems. These drone vision systems use detection sensor to scan the
surroundings, while software algorithms and SLAM technology produce the images into 3D maps allowing the flight controller to
sense and avoid the object. These systems fuse one or more of the following sensors to sense and avoid obstacles;
• Vision Sensors
• Ultrasonic
• Infrared
• Lidar
• Time of Flight (TF)
• Monocular Vision
• The latest DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom have obstacle sensing on all 6 sides. The Mavic 2 uses both Vision and Infrared
sensors fused into a vision system known as Omni-directional Obstacle Sensing.
• The DJI Mavic 2 obstacle sensing system goes to the next level, where it can actually fly around obstacles in front or when flying
backwards. If it is unable to work out a flight path around the object, it will hover in front of the obstacle. This is known as APAS
(Advanced Pilot Assistance System) on the DJI Mavic 2 and Mavic Air drones.
Gyro Stabilization, IMU And Flight Controllers

• Gyro stabilization technology is one of the components which give the drone its smooth
flight capabilities. The gyroscope needs to work almost instantly to the forces moving
against the drone. The gyroscope provides essential navigational information to the
central flight controller.
• The inertial measurement unit (IMU) works by detecting the current rate of acceleration
using one or more accelerometers. The IMU detects changes in rotational attributes like
pitch, roll and yaw using one or more gyroscopes. Some IMU include a magnetometer to
assist with calibration against orientation drift.
• The Gyroscope is a component of the IMU and the IMU s an essential component of the
drones flight controller. The flight controller is the central brain of the drone.
• Here is a terrific article, which covers gyro stabilization and IMU technology in drones.
 Working of Drones
• A typical unmanned aircraft is made of light composite materials to reduce weight and
increase maneuverability. This composite material strength allows military drones to
cruise at extremely high altitudes.
• Drones are equipped with different state of the art technology such as infrared cameras,
GPS and laser (consumer, commercial and military UAV). Drones are controlled by
remote ground control systems (GSC) and also referred to as a ground cockpit.
• An unmanned aerial vehicle system has two parts, the drone itself and the control
system.
• The nose of the unmanned aerial vehicle is where all the sensors and navigational
systems are present. The rest of the body is full of drone technology systems since there
is no need for space to accommodate humans.
• The engineering materials used to build the drone are highly complex composites
designed to absorb vibrations, which decrease the noise produced. These materials are
very light weight.
 Applications of drones
• 1. Use in Agriculture
• 2. Use in Delivery
• 3. Use in Military
• 4. Use in Domestic
• 5. Use in Internet Services
• 6. Use in Photography and Videography
• 7. Use in 3D Imaging
• 8. Use in Civil