Technology is rapidly advancing providing humans with easier and more efficient ways of completing tasks. One form of technology that is primarily being used by the military is an unmanned aircraft (UAV). UAV technology can play an important role in benefiting the civilian world. This technology will make many tasks currently performed by humans more capable and extensive.
What is an Unmanned Aircraft (UAV)?
An unmanned aircraft is a plane that is flown without the use of a crew or pilot. Instead, the unmanned aircraft is piloted by hardware, software, and a person or people from the ground. The technical definition of “an 'unmanned aerial vehicle' is a powered aircraft that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide lift, can fly autonomously (by an onboard computer) and/or be piloted remotely (by radio control), and can be recovered for repeated flights. It is an aerial robot. Airships, aerostats, balloons, ballistic and semiballistic missiles, cruise missiles, artillery projectiles, tethered/wire guided aircraft/missiles, and other one-flight, expendable objects are not considered unmanned aircraft” (Lewis). An unmanned aircraft (UA) is also known as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), unmanned aircraft system (UAS), drone, remotely piloted vehicle (RPV), remotely operated aircraft (ROA), or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).
History of UAVs
The technology used for unmanned aircraft dates back to 1863 during the Civil War. This technology, invented by Charles Perley, was an unmanned aerial bomber. Specifically, the bomber was a hot-air balloon that could drop explosives. Perley’s invention proved to be imprecise and hazardous but both the Union and Confederate forces are said to have launched them (K...
... middle of paper ...
...ov/centers/dryden/pdf/111761main_UAV_Capabilities_Assessment.pdf>.
Koldaev, Alexander V. "NON-MILITARY UAV APPLICATIONS." Feb 2007. Web. 3 Dec 2009. .
Krock, Lexi. "Time Line of UAVs." NOVA Science Programming on Air and Online. Nov 2002. PBS, Web. 19 Nov 2009. .
Hanlon, Mike. "Yamaha's RMAX - the worlds most advanced non-military UAV." gizmag 19 Nov 2004: n. pag. Web. 19 Nov 2009. .
Lewis, Pete. "Librarian's Desk (FAQ)." UAV Forum. SRA International, Inc., Web. 19 Nov 2009. .
Wise, Jeff. “Civilian UAVs: No Pilot, No Problem.” Popular Mechanics. April 2007. 18 November 2009 .
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
When we think about the drones we always associated them with dirty works where humans don’t have to get their hands dirty . But in reality we can also use drones at many other places .For example we can use delivery drones to deliver stuff . Drones that are used for commercial purposes are called the commercial drones. Commercial drones are same as drones but they are smaller in the size. Commercial Drones are usually controlled by the user who can set the speed and height ,when drones take off. Delivery drones can handle up to -115 to 122 degree temperature and handle up to 40 mile per hour wind. Commercial drones are used for multiple purposes . One of their major purposes is to deliver the item . Amazon Ceo has currently stated that they are working on the Drone delivery system which will deliver the item within the half an hour after the pay . Commercial Drones are also used for surveillance purposes. Surveillance applications include livestock monitoring, wildfire mapping, pipeline security, home security, road patrol, and anti-piracy. They also used in commercial and motion picture film making. So basically we can use this technology to make the service faster .
(Global Security, 2014) There seems to be numerous drone flights, conducted by the Air Force’s
16“Praxis: Drones -- Interview with a Drone Pilot.” Interview by Marc Pitzke. Spiegel.de. 12 Mar. 2010. Web. 25 Jan. 2012
Murphy, Dan. "Aerial Drones Serve as Weapons of War." Weapons of War. Ed. Diane Andrews Henningfeld. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "Briefing: Aerial Drones as Weapons of War." Christian Science Monitor (22 May 2009). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
World War One caused the production of aircraft. It also saw the development of the first unmanned aircraft. Charles Kettering was an American inventor, he designed an unmanned aircraft known as The Kettering Torpedo or "The Kettering Bug". It could destroy an enemy miles away. It was the first drone of its time, using an onboard gyroscope that guided the drone to its location. The first test flight for the drone was on October 2nd 1918. The test failed because the drone flew too steep in the air, it stalled and eventually crashed. In 1916-1917 Elmer Sperry and Peter Hewitt developed an unmanned aircraft, known as the Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Aircraft. It was also piloted by gyroscopes and also with a barometer that could measure the altitude. The first
These groups address issues from all facets of the aerospace industry. Some of these areas include: General Aviation, Human Powered Flight, Propulsion, Rotorcraft, Space, Structures & Materials and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The articles published in the journal address all these areas. As they do not adhere to a specific area of specialization in aerospace they attract readers from diverse areas of the field. The journal addresses readers who have a strong understanding of the advanced principles in the field of aerospace.
My course project is going to be based on Military drone. I have some knowledge on military drones due to my ex-husband he was in the military and told me a lot of stories based on the drones. What interest me is on how they were being used to help vaporize any suspected terrorist so they sent them out to gather information so the military can be aware of what is going on in the United States or anywhere are the world. The first drones that was invented was called the MQ-1 Predator it was established in 1995 by a military contractor is was being used for surveillance and intelligence gathering tool, it was also being use to launch missiles. The drones were designed by Abraham E. Kareem and it is very interesting in designing a gadget like that
Moreover, robots are faster, have longer endurance, high precision and immunity to chemical and biological weapons (Ronald Arkin).In the National Defense Act of 2001 the U.S. Congress, obviously impressed by the potential of robots saving lives on the battlefield, established the requirement for one-third of the ground vehicles and one-third of the deep-strike aircraft in the military to be robotic within the decade. Consequently, in the “Fiscal Year 2009-2034 Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap” of the office of the secretary of defense, the four categories that will be focused on are reconnaissance and surveillance, target identification and designation, counter-mine and explosive ordnance disposal, and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear detection (Stew Magnuson). As for now, most of the robot soldiers in the field are not fully autonomous. They are controlled by human soldier operators. However, the pressure of wars and the superior advantage of robots, which can make decisions on their own, will shift the interest in developing autonomous robots.
The military use of lethally autonomous robots (LAR) is not science fiction – it is happening right now. A robot is a mechanism guided by automatic controls. Autonomous robots are able to independently maintain stability and plan action. The first generation of military robots have operated under direct human control. The most well-known military robots are “drones” or unmanned aerial vehicles. The drone system currently in use is the unmanned aerial vehicles IAI Pioneer & RQ-1 Predator which can be armed with air-to-ground missiles and remotely operated from a command center. Drones have already been used by the U.S. military for unmanned air attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other war zones. (Merchant, 276).
The meaning of a drone is a small aircraft which is controlled through a computer or by a remote control. In the past, drones have been used for military and special operations but modern technology has allowed drones to be used for personal purposes, such as a search, photography, delivery, and monitoring among other things. Despite recent research has shown that there is an increasing number of applications for drones in personal use, there are people who demand that personal use of drones should be regulated as it can potentially endanger people’s lives. Although it is undeniable that the drones might be a threat to wildlife, the personal use of drones should not be regulated because it is a handy device and can it gives people inspiration
"Drones." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Another name for drones are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS). These are “aircraft either controlled by ‘pilots’ from the ground or increasingly, autonomously following a pre-programmed mission” (Cole 4). Even though there are many unique types of drones, but they usually fall under two main categories: ones that are armed and equipped with missiles and bombs and others that are used for surveillance. In the past couple of years the use of drones has increased dramatically. The reason being because “unlike manned aircraft they can stay aloft for many hours and are flown remotely so there is no danger to the flight crew” (Cole 13). There are drones that can actually fly over more than fifty hours. In countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, the Predator and U.S Reaper are physically there. Cause of the power of technology th...
Tice, Brian P. (1991). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – The Force Multiplier of the 1990s. Airpower Journal.
One great defining cultural aspect of drone technology in America, is its magnificent history. According to Newcome (2004), Radioplane Company in Hollywood, was owned by a British Actor and WWII pilot and built over 15,000 small drones for the military. A young President Ronald Reagan, when he was in the Airforce, directed an Army journalist to do a story on the Radioplane Company, where he took the first photographs of Norma Jean assembling radio-controlled airplanes. The young Army photographer told Norma she could be a model and only a few years later Marilyn Monroe emerged.