A “plane without pilot” is a flying robot that can be controlled remotely to divert its path or fly straight forward, using the programs existing on its integrated systems by directing signals to the plane's sensors.
These planes acquired their name, drones, from bees; basically because the sound it makes as it works sounds very much like that of a group of male bees. Controlling drones sounds easy, with a remote control device and GPS; however, the truth is that it is much more complicated than that.
Drones work by electricity; they contain electric batteries supplying it with power. Drones move vertically first, using rotor blades that push the air down. As every action has a reaction equal to it but opposite in the direction, the air exerts the same amount of force in the opposite direction, which is the direction of rotors or fans, which then push the plane up. The greater the speed of the blades' spinning, the higher the plane rises; that is the main idea of how all upward and downward forces work. As such, the drone masters three vertical movements: flying, ascending, and descending.
For the plane to keep on flying, the forces' outcome of the four rotors that work on pushing the plane up must equal those of Earth's gravity, which pulls the plane down. To rise, the power of the blades that pushes the plane (its spinning speed) must increase to exceed the gravitational speed or what is known as weight force, and vice versa with the landing.
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Figure (1) The general division of the modern technical textiles.
Benefits and Applications
Drones have countless benefits; for example, they can be used in geographical survey and mapping, where it is less expensive than traditional methods. Moreover, it is fast, works in different weather conditions, and covers vast areas. They can also discover groundwater using infrared rays, and in following up on construction work second by second; to know the exact time of imbalance and quickly interfere.
Using drones in search and rescue at the sites of natural disasters is one of the most important applications; it can help in the four stages of the disaster: prevention, preparation, responding, and recovering. They can be used in exploring and mapping before the disaster, as well as in structural assessment, discovering debris, and firefighting operations. They are useful in the locations of chemical, radiological, or nuclear leaks; in reporting on weather conditions in the polluted locations, which are considered dangerous for humans, such as forest fires and nuclear pollution.
After the disaster, drones contribute in search and rescue operations by locating survivors faster, analyzing the structure of damaged infrastructure, delivering supplements and equipment, assisting in evacuations, transporting casualties, in addition to protecting the rescue team from the dangers of being in these locations. That is all on top of difficult photography angles and their ability to spread and reach dangerous locations.
Defects and Dangers
Drones have numerous advantages; yet, they also have serious disadvantages. It threatens privacies and freedoms, because it comes in different shapes and sizes. In very small sizes, they can be used to spy on other people's lives without being noticed, with unknown sources or owners. This is in addition to a number of technical defects, such as short flight time, being easily affected by the weather, the possibility of crashing into people, buildings, or cultural sites, as well as entering areas where it is not allowed to fly, or when some try to use it in illegal procedures, such as smugging drugs.
Drones need laws and regulations to organise their use, just as all the other modern fascinating techniques in our time. The defects and dangers of drones on national security are very clear, as they can be easily used for spying purposes, or even to drop military or biological weapons. This has led some countries to prevent them from being traded on their lands, in addition to confiscating any type of drones trying to cross their borders.
Without a doubt, drones are one of the best inventions of modern technology. They have countless features and applications, as well as numerous defects and dangers that raise concerns and urge us to carefully deal with this technology, in order to make the best advantage out of it while limiting its defects as much as possible.
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Figure (2): Firefighters clothing.
References
airbornedrones.co
dronetechplanet.com
gleassociates.com
wired.com
Image by diana.grytsku on Freepik.