Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Current Trends and Future Uses - Essay Example

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Current Trends and Future Uses Introduction It is thrilling to see miniature airplanes and helicopters flying with the pilot on land remotely controlling them. It is not only thrilling and amazing but it looks out of this world to learn that a customer can receive ordered product through ‘flying robots’. But it is happening. The ‘Skyteboard’ is integrated into a social networking site known as ‘Fatdoor’ to enhance friendship among community members. The Skyteboard is equipped with a GPS, Wi-Fi enabled, and ‘a full HD camera and a 1 lb (450 g) payload’ (Lavars 2014, para. 3) and can hover over sports activities. People can remotely control the Skyteboard by means of their mobile phones and others can connect and watch the games through social media. The Skyteboard can be made to film a local soccer match and other local sports activities. (Lavars 2014) Unmanned aerial vehicles are challenging in movies and in real life. UAVs or MAVs (micro air vehicles) were first used in military surveillance but now they have evolved through the years as the U.S. military use them in targeting, or more specifically bombing, enemy installations or moving human targets. UAVs were used in Iraq and Afghanistan and are effective in destroying enemy targets with lesser casualties on the part of the operator. Indeed, the use of UAVs has impacted in our daily lives, for commercial, military, and entertainment uses. Background The first UAV was built in 1916 and was called ‘aviation torpedo’ by its makers Lawrence and Sperry who flew them at a distance of more than 30 miles. However, they were not used in the war and only began to be of importance militarily during the Vietnam War and the Cold War. The U.S. and Israel made use of UAVs, applying them with small engines and installed video cameras. Special features MAVs can do tasks that larger aircraft cannot do. MAVs can hover over terrain in about 0 to 50 meters where they can accidentally collide, but gather information even through very thick forests. Because of its size, an MAV can penetrate through an atmosphere with less effect on airflows. They can operate with being detected by radar, which is very useful for information gathering and surveillance operations of the military. UAVs’ position and velocity are programmed so they can perform their missions effectively. (Langelaan & Roy 2009, p. 1642) Parts of a UAV using the latest technology include the microcontroller system, GPS, servo-controlled system, sensors and cameras. A manufacturer can use as many sensors and cameras depending on the task or mission of the UAV. With the introduction of solid state devices and microprocessors, sensors and microprocessors have been incorporated into the control system of UAVs. Definition of key terms Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) - UAVs are effective in the battlefield because they are just in the air watching enemy movement and can strike any moment for as long as its operator, who is in the headquarters watching, decides to strike the enemy. They come in various forms and sizes, and the military have several codes for them, such as Global Hawk, Predator, Shadow, Raven, and the micro ones called Wasp, Micro Flying Robot, and Micromechanical Flying Insect (Nonami et al. 2010, p. 13). Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) - MAVs are now used for military and civilian purposes with large number of commercial users and enthusiasts in Japan and the United States, and also in Australia, West Europe, Eurasia and Israel. Drone – This is another word for UAVs. Drone is a popular term for UAVs, which can be a small aircraft or a larger flying pre-programmed aircraft used by the military, that are controlled by ‘pilots’ or command centers on the ground. Unmanned aerial vehicles are useful in many instances, for military, civilian, or commercial uses, and there may come a time that UAVs can be used in almost all tasks, because they provide safe and rapid results. Outline of the structure of the essay Introduction Literature Review (main body) Conclusion Brief summary Analysis/comments Predictions for future developments Further research needed Limitations on the work covered by your essay References Literature Review (main body) Drones that are usually used for military purposes are of two types: the ones used for reconnaissance or surveillance and drones used to bomb targets. (Drone Wars UK: what are drones? 2010) The use of drones by the military, the British or the U.S. Air Force, has change the way the troops engage in the different conflict zones anywhere in the world. Knowing how they operate and engage drones in combat is an interesting topic, more interesting than the ones we see in the movies. For example, drones are being controlled in an air force base in near the outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada, while grown crews right in the war areas, for example in Iraq or Afghanistan, launch the drones. A soldier can ‘fly’ the drone remotely, while another one positions the sensors and cameras, and another one positions it to be seen by the soldiers and commanders in the field. This new method in the military is more effective, reduces man troops, and is safer for soldiers since they can engage while away and out of reach by the enemy. (Drone Wars UK: what are drones? 2010) The importance and use of drones is not limited to military use. UAVs are used for various purposes. They are important commercially and militarily as they can be used to perform tasks that might be dangerous for humans. There are factors that encourage the use of UAVs, particularly, economic, and political factors. For example, the use of more accurate and effective sensors and microprocessors that connect UAVs to a ‘command center’ such as a laptop or computer is now possible. Cameras use sensors that can be connected remotely to the laptop or computer. These devices come in small packages and are super-light, just appropriate to be installed in the UAV. (Nonami et al. 2010, p. 3) Drones are also used for archaeological purposes, such as surveying sites and places that are difficult for man to reach; scientific experiments like NASA and space explorations; environmental and meteorological experiments and applications; and for law enforcement, among others. (Global research: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV): drones for military and civilian use 2014) Drones are important in scientific explorations. In Antarctica, scientists have been using helicopter drones to map places that are unreachable. In some countries like Brazil, UAVs are used for agriculture purposes where they can survey agricultural fields. UAVs can also be used to take aerial photographs for dangerous terrain. Police have used the UAV known as Predator to find and apprehend armed cattle rustlers in North Dakota. (Marks 2012, p. 21-22) The giant online marketer, Amazon.com, delivers products in a span of 30 minutes through unmanned aerial vehicles right at the doorstep of the customer (Amazon: Amazon prime air 2014). Fig. 1: Amazon.com delivers products in 30 minutes through a UAV SOURCE: Aviation Week: Jeff Bezos’s ‘crazy’ UAS idea serves us well 2013 The number of registered UAV users in different countries is growing. The lists continue for such countries as Japan, the United States, West Europe, and other developed countries. Fig. 2 Figure above shows a chart showing the countries with large numbers of UAV users. Japan has the biggest number of registered UAV voters, followed by the United States and West Europe. SOURCE: Nonami et al. (2010, p. 3) Market for UAVs has also been growing these past few years. In the United States, the growth is considered significant. The U.S. Department of Defense has increased its budget for UAV research and development. This is shown in the figure 3. A comparison of the annual funding for UAVs between the U.S. and Europe shows that the United States has rapid increase in UAV research and development, while Europe only gradually increased its budget for the same project (Nonami et al. (2010, p. 4). This is shown in figure 4. Fig. 3: Annual funding profile of the U.S. Department of Defense SOURCE: Nonami et al. (2010, p. 4) Fig. 4 Annual funding profile in Europe SOURCE: Nonami et al. (2010, p. 4) Fig. 5: Current exporters, operators, and developers of UAVs SOURCE: Nonami et al. (2010, p. 6) Many countries are now exporting, manufacturing or developing UAVs. This just shows the popularity and future of UAVs. This is demonstrated in the figure 5. Conclusion This essay is about the exciting world of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly called as drones in the military. We used the term exciting because ‘childhood’ excitement always emerges when speaking of robots and remotely-controlled flying objects. The military has made use of UAVs in various conflicts. NASA has also been using it in its many experiments and expeditions in space. Agriculture, business, and law enforcement have all benefited what UAVs can perform. After the excitement, the seriousness of the subject comes to view because the government, through the FAA, has restricted the use of UAVs. Civilians and private businesses can use UAVs on a limited basis and they still have to secure licenses to operate and launch UAVs. This should not be the case since UAVs can have advantages and can help in lightening people’s work load. The police can use them in tracking and apprehending criminals. Business can use them in delivering products while science can use them in experiments, and agriculturists have proved that they are useful too. We have shown in the literature that humans are benefited of the advantages of UAVs. So why should we limit the use of UAVs? Like any other technology, there are rules and regulations that should be implemented on this kind of technology. The FAA can provide strict guidelines for UAVs, but only to restrain criminal minds. Predictions for future developments For now, some governments have restricted the use of UAVs, but this will not be long. In the near future, UAVs will be as ordinary as other inventions due to the multi-tasks that they can perform and the human demand for such inventions. Further research needed Research is still needed because most of UAV inventions are not yet perfect. Technology applications, like computer software, needs to be programmed to make UAVs applicable to all tasks assigned to humans, for which UAVs can perform. Limitations on the work covered by your essay There are a few empirical studies conducted on the use of UAVs and how it has impacted on businesses and organisations. References Amazon: Amazon prime air 2014, viewed 25 June 2014, . Aviation Week: Jeff Bezos’s ‘crazy’ UAS idea serves us well 2013, viewed 24 June 2014, . Drone Wars UK: what are drones? 2010, viewed 25 June 2014, . Global research: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV): drones for military and civilian use 2014, viewed 25 June 2014, . Langelaan, J & Roy, N 2009, ‘Enabling new missions for robotic aircraft’, Science, vol. 326, viewed 15 June 2014, via www.sciencemag.org. Lavars, N 2014, ‘Skyeboard drone aims to bring neighbors closer together’, viewed 25 June 2014, . Marks, P 2012, ‘Drones for all take to the skies’, New Scientist, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 20-21, viewed 25 June 2014, via EBSCOHOST database. Nonami, K, Kendoul, F, Suzuki, S, Wang, W, & Nakazawa, D 2010, Autonomous flying robots: unmanned aerial vehicles and micro aerial vehicles, Springer, London. Read More