A Brief Insight in to the Drone Industry

OVERVIEW

I have had great success working with a large number of drone/avionics companies over the past two years – the last 12 months in particular. The more I have worked with these different drone organisations the more interested and the more passionate I have become about them.

In this article, I will talk about the uses of drones, how the future looks for them, the risks and perhaps negative side, the software behind these drones and provide some tips for flying your own drones too!

A good place to start is to explain what a drone actually is…

By definition a drone is: “an aircraft that does not have a pilot but is controlled by someone on the ground, used especially for dropping bombs or for surveillance” (UK Cambridge Dictionary).

Put simply they are an aircraft without a human on board. They are either run by remote control or fly autonomously relying on artificial intelligence. They can come in all shapes and sizes from the size of airplanes to the size of a ping pong ball.

The AeroVironment Nano Hummingbird – built to resemble and fly just like a hummingbird.

Drones (a shorter name for any unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV) are some of the most on trend and talked about technologies around today. Like most technology they do come with controversy, however drones are becoming increasingly popular not just for military operations, but now for commercial and personal use too!

USE OF DRONES

Drones were originally developed solely for use by the military, but today they are used for everything from photography to pizza deliveries.

Here are just some of the uses for drones:

Photography: A lot of drone enthusiasts use UAVs to take incredible pictures. Attaching cameras to drones has revolutionised aerial photography. With a lot of these drones you are able to connect your smartphone to see exactly what the drone is viewing and can take high definition pictures.

Rescue Missions: Drones are also often used for search and rescue missions – these are ideal when searching over vast or dangerous areas e.g. for missing people or for individuals in danger. These UAVs provide real-time visual information which increases the speed and likelihood of locating individuals – ultimately saving lives!

Take a look at this link - it shows you all of the occasions that drones have saved people around the world - https://enterprise.dji.com/drone-rescue-map/#map

Security Guards: UAVs are being used to assist, and in some cases, replace security guards. They are able to perform tasks far more efficiently and faster than a human could.

Filming: Similar to photography, drones are being used for filming – and not even for just personal projects. Drones have been used in a large number of blockbuster films too – more so in recent years. Although, even 18 years ago in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets drones were being used – remember that famous flying car scene? MAGIC! ?????♂?

Military: Drones, or Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS) as they’re known in the military, are used when manned flight is deemed to be too risky, difficult or dangerous. They can be used to survey an area, spot enemy bases/weapons or even to drop bombs.

Surveillance: Drones are perfect for scanning vast areas and are able to detect any problems in real-time to great accuracy. Plus, when comparing a drone to a standard fixed security camera, it really is a no brainer!

Delivery Services: I’m sure you’ve seen some of the big players in the tech industry like Amazon and Google heavily investing in drone projects in recent years – and it is only a matter time before their drone delivery service becomes a reality (see below an awesome video link of this). It’s not just packages though – some drones are even being used to deploy pizzas! ??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzi7vqGos6U

Research: Drones really are advancing scientific research too. Their cameras can get a close look on animals in the wild without interfering. They can also be used to predict flooding, to count animal populations and to explore glaciers & volcanoes etc.

Helping those in need: I particularly love that drones are being used to deliver life-saving medicine to those in need across the world. The speed and reliability of drones allows medicine to reach remote areas and it is far cheaper than the alternative of flying a helicopter too.

Agriculture: Drones are used for various reasons in agriculture. From distributing seeds to monitoring crops. Farmers have seen significant increases in yields thanks to drone technology providing information to better assess and more accurately treat their crops.

Putting Out Fires: Flying firefighters... drones can be used to reach tall buildings and help to put fires out. Alternatively, they can also search and spot if any one is left in a burning building etc. ??

Lightshows: If you haven’t seen some of the drone lightshows – then you need to (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjRb6u_PQwQ). Drones are programmed to follow each other to create certain images or designs and can be quite spectacular to watch. A more environmentally friendly alternative to firework shows too! ??

The Future of Drones

With some of the drone projects going on currently, it might not be too long until we are travelling to work in Airtaxi’s, or a drone is dropping off our weekly shopping or delivering your amazon package.

The future of drones looks very strong. SESAR, Europe’s air traffic management research programme, estimates that some seven million drones will be flying in the continent’s airspace for leisure purposes by 2050, with a further 400,000 in use for commercial or official purposes.

More specifically in Germany, currently there are around 500,000 drones in circulation. This number will of course grow, along with the amount of drone organisations in Germany. In fact, the German drone market is expected to grow from €574 million euros to €3 billion euros by 2030, according to a report by the German Unmanned Aviation Association.

With regards to COVID-19, the drone industry, like nearly all other industries, has been negatively affected. Although, this pandemic has seen a rise in the need for commercial drones – especially for medical uses. Some drone companies have been able to deliver and produce their solutions a lot faster than expected due to the immediate need throughout this crisis. As a result, some areas of the drone industry will feel the effects of COVID-19 more than others.

The Negative Side of Drones

Drones don’t come without their fair share of controversy. Drone strikes of course cause a lot of destruction and collateral damage where a number of innocent lives can be lost.

UAVs are programmed with a ‘sense and avoid’ feature which means that drones can detect a potential collision and then maneuver themselves to avoid it. Although, in the event of system failures – falling drones can be a serious danger.

Privacy - Drones can collect data and images without drawing much attention and to a certain extent anonymously too. They can be inappropriately used by individuals and it can be hard to combat this.

Similarly, in August 2019, hackers attending the annual Defcon conference in Las Vegas managed to demonstrate how a simple off-the-shelf quadcopter drone, fitted with a radio transmitter, could hover above a home and take control of its smart TV. The drone transmitted a signal “more powerful than the one broadcast by legitimate TV networks, overriding the legitimate signal.” 

Drones can also cause catastrophic scenes if they were to collide with an aircraft. Airports take the risk of drones extremely seriously – I’m sure you can remember the chaos at Gatwick Airport (England) in December 2018 when a drone brought the airport to a complete standstill. There have been repeated drone incidents at German airports too, although the number has declined recently. In 2019, the DFS recorded 125 delays, 33 fewer than in 2018.

Software/Embedded Systems in Drones

Drones are a complex combination of software, hardware and mechanics. Most drones fly on Lithium-Ion batteries, whilst some of the larger models use fuel or solar power. Software is critical in drones – it is essentially the brain of the UAV and allows them to safely travel, directing the drone on where to go and when it needs to react to its surroundings. 

Drone software works in layers, each one having a different function. Together they form a software stack. This is made up of firmware, middleware and the operating system. Drones are mainly operating on Linux based software currently. These are real-time systems that require rapid responses to changing sensor data. Exteroceptive sensors deal with external information like distance measurements, while exproprioceptive sensors check the internal and external conditions.

The latest drones now come equipped with collision avoidance systems. They use obstacle detection sensors (LiDAR, Vision, Ultrasonic, Infrared, ToF etc.) to scan the surroundings, and then utilise algorithms and SLAM technologies to produce images into 3D maps. This allows the drone to autonomously fly safely and react to any obstacles it faces.

In particular, Pix4D is a popular professional software used for drone based mapping. It essentially converts the pictures from the drones in to maps and can provide real-time accurate analysis and insights. This software is most commonly used for drones in the construction and inspection industries.

Thinking of flying your own drone?

Don’t be put off by the negative side of drones – flying drones can be a lot of fun and there’s a reason why there and millions of drones being flown worldwide.

There are a few things to consider before you fly your own drone:

1)   Don’t spend a lot of money on it if it’s your first time – it’s extremely likely that it will crash!

2)   On the note of crashing – you want a drone that has high durability

3)   Drones should have altitude hold which would keep your drone in place if you were to take your fingers off the controls

4)   Slower flight speed will also make it easier to fly and better for you to practice as a beginner

5)   Ensure the drones have good reviews before you buy it

6)   The drone should come with clear instructions on how to fly it and perhaps you could find some YouTube tutorials clearly explaining it too

7)   It shouldn’t be too complicated to set up and get up and running – you want a simple drone that you can get flying quickly

8)   Don’t be too alarmed by the short battery life – most beginner drones last around 15 minutes – this is normal

FAQs

How far can a drone go?

This really depends – simplistic toy drones don’t tend to go much further than 20-50m. However, some drones such as the Autel EVO can operate up to an impressive 7km!

Where should I buy my beginner drones from?

Again, this depends – most people that I speak to have suggested that Amazon are best. Remember to read the reviews before purchasing though!

How much do drones cost?

There are very cheap drones on the market for less than €50, however a good quality, durable entry level drone is likely to cost between €100-€250. Mid-range drones can go up to €600 and some of the high-end drones will cost more than €1000.

Do I need a licence to fly a drone in Germany?

Flying a drone is legal in Germany – but it is important to not solely rely on the below information and be aware/stay updated with the drone regulations. You can get in touch with the German Federal Aviation Office if you have any questions (+49 531 2355 115).

• Drones cannot fly above 100m without a permit.
• Pilots must have a direct line of sight with their drones at all times
• Drones weighing up to 5 kilograms (11 pounds) may be flown without a permit, but a license is required to fly a drone weighing more than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds).
• Drone insurance is required for all drone operations in Germany.
• Drones may not be flown within 1.5 km or closer to an airport.
• Drones that are able to record/transfer optical, acoustic, or radio signals are forbidden over residential areas unless the owners have agreed to the flight.
• Drones may not be flown over crowds, industrial areas, disaster areas, prisons, residential areas, certain traffic routes, and several other areas designated as sensitive.