DRONEon episode 6...
When I talk about drones, some people think of a teenage boy flying over a neighbors back patio to capture video of the guys daughter or hot looking wife. There are no examples of drones being used elsewhere that will change that mindset. Sorry...But, if you are open minded, you could find some interest in drones being used in business.
In the example, large scale model drones are equipped with tanks and spray nozzles for the application of pesticides or liquid fertilizers in agriculture.
Pretty simple design with gyroscopic stability, the pilot remotely controls the drone over the crops at the speed and altitude of his choosing.
I've seen some larger GPS models including some with programmable flight path and obstacle avoidance.
Technology put to good use!
Comments (8)
Military drones used mostly in surveillance are high altitude aircraft with long range video sensors. Specifically designed to be minimally visible to radar detection.
Drones used in the movie industry are completely different. Usually multi rotor hovering style aircraft less than a meter in diameter.
In the United States, only drones under 0.55 pounds ( .0249kg ) are exempt from registration. As a hobby, it's the pilot who registers and any number of drones have the same registration number. If the drone is used in business, each drone has their own number and the pilot must pass a test and have a license.
Unless the drone is used with government authorization, all drone pilots must avoid flying over people (sporting events for example) and totally banned from flying near airports and any place where emergency equipment is used.
The example there is the guy who was filming firefighters working a large brush fire. The drone was in the path of a plane carrying chemicals to drop over the flames and the pilot had to abort the mission. The drone pilot was arrested and fined $25,000 for endangering the airplane pilot and success of the operation.
Cost of a helicopter, pilot and technician comppared to a drone, truck and technician, I would expect the drone to be far less expensive.
A drone might be in theory cheaper than a helicopter but most likely the helicopter will be able to cover far more area in a day than a drone as it will be able to stay up in the air while a drone will have to come back to base and then be taken onto the next section to do the same.