Unmanned Drones: What Are They Used For?

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are aircraft without a human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. They are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes a ground controller and a communications system with the UAV. UAVs can be remotely piloted by a human operator, such as remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), or with varying degrees of autonomy, such as autopilot assistance, to fully autonomous aircraft that have no provision for human intervention. UAVs have many functions, from monitoring climate change to conducting search operations after natural disasters, photographing, filming and delivering goods.

But their most well-known and controversial use is in the military for reconnaissance, surveillance and targeted attacks. RAND research has contributed to public discussion on the use of drones for war and surveillance. The Secretary of Defense Policy Memorandum entitled Guide to the Home Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in U. S.

outlines the policy direction for the use of UAVs. The authors examine the logistics and maintenance aspects of an emerging operational concept to employ a family of unmanned aerial vehicles that can be launched, recovered and sustained with minimal dependence on runways. UAVs are used in numerous real-life applications, such as payload delivery, traffic monitoring, moving objects in a seemingly hazardous environment, and surveillance. Malicious use of UAVs has led to the development of counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) technologies.

Now offering a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Aircraft Systems and a Master of Science in Unmanned Systems. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used in many applications due to their rapid and cost-effective deployment. They are classified according to weight, maximum altitude and speed of the UAV component. From logistics to agriculture and safety, unmanned aerial vehicles and IoT are often part of the same discussion. Unmanned aircraft systems consist of the aircraft component, sensor payloads, and a ground control station. In conclusion, UAVs have many uses ranging from military operations to disaster relief and exploration of remote hazardous areas.

They offer rapid deployment and cost-effectiveness that make them attractive for many applications.