What is a Drone?

Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are an upcoming platform for remote sensing applications. Drones are a blanket term for flying objects that are not what we consider ‘usual’ like a plane or single rotor helicopter, but by using the term UAV we make several distinctions. First, Unmanned tells us that the vehicle is autonomous, and does not require manual input. Second, Vehicle allows us to understand that a UAV is just a platform for a variety of applications – just like a tank, car, and train can all be considered vehicles despite their obvious difference in applications.

UAVs have several distinct advantages in the remote sensing field. First, they are cheap. An optimized, well-planned UAV that can carry out missions with flight times of an hour can cost as little as two thousand dollars. Compared to the cost a full scale plane or helicopter or plane, this is an extremely low price. Further, it costs around six cents to charge a battery for UAV flights compared to the cost of fuel for full scale platforms. Second, UAV’s can achieve a much higher resolution than conventional airplanes or helicopters. A UAV can reach accuracy of one to three centimeters per pixel – compared to the meter per pixel accuracy of conventional full scale options. Finally, UAVs can be launched autonomously meaning that an operator does not need any pilot background or training. From a tablet or smartphone, anybody can successfully run a UAV remote sensing mission.

The output of these missions depends on the sensors attached to the UAV platform – but much can be achieved with a common digital camera. With a generic point and shoot camera, action camera, or even an iPhone duct taped to the bottom of a UAV, we can create 3D models, angularly and geographically correct maps, and texture meshes. In order to do this, we need to use several types of post processing software.

The first step is to build and configure a drone capable of carrying itself, and sensors to capture data. Most of the components for current personal UAVs are modified parts from the model aircraft hobby. These parts include the brushless motors, electronic speed controllers, propellers, and lithium polymer batteries. What makes this configuration of modified parts into a UAV is the flight control and autopilot component. Not all flight controllers have autopilot functions and require continuous manual input. However, those that have autonomous capabilities have the potential to be true remote sensing platforms. The motors, propellers, batteries, cameras, and other components are optimized to the application and the UAV is ready to perform.