Drones simply explained in seven points

Drones is a hot topic. Their uses are increasing in various fields.

1-Drone composition:

A drone is made up of several elements:

• The motors driving the rotor propellers.

• The battery providing energy to all the components of the drone.

• The electronics which are used for receiving piloting orders, for stabilizing the drone and for the various applications.

• Drone pilot remote control hardware,

• Tools embedded in the application provided for the drone.

2-The choice of the drone depends on the use:

There are several types of drones. First there are the mini drones which are intended for hobbyists who want to train with drones. Recently, we also talk about micro drones used to take selfies for example. Then, there are professional drones but their use requires compliance with the regulations of the country where one want to use them. Finally, there are also drones used by the military. But in any case, it is necessary to identify the needs in order to be able to select the material which will correspond to the expectations of the users.

3-The applications of drones:

Drones are used today to carry out various missions. The drone equipped with a camera makes it possible to inspect, for example, the antennas of a telecom operator, the roof of a house or to inspect various equipment and industrial installations. In addition to their many practical uses, drones can be used for advertising or entertainment purposes. For example, more than 400 drones lit up the skies of London as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

4-Drones require learning and training:

Before getting started with drones, it is important to go through the stage of using simulation applications which will not replace practice.

5-Frequencies used by drones:

Generally, drones need frequencies to operate

– For radio links necessary for the management of their flights

– For radio links intended for traffic control

– For radio links depending on the drone’s mission

Commonly, so-called “leisure” drones use free frequencies (2.4 and 5.8 Ghz) similar to those used in WIFI networks.

On the other hand, so-called “professional” drones whose flight is greater than 150 m, which can in certain cases fly higher and access-controlled airspace with the authorization of Civil Aviation, use specific frequency bands such as: 1900 – 1920 MHz and 5000-5010 MHz in priority for drone control. For the needs of the payload that can be covered, well-chosen frequencies are used.

As for so-called “governmental” drones: They use dedicated and specific frequency bands, distinct from those used by “professional” drones, so that to prevent the two uses from interfering, particularly in the event of a crisis situation.

6- Regulations:

Regulations are in place in almost all countries to better regulate the use of drones in order to avoid malicious applications or various accidents. This regulation mainly concerns small drones operating at low altitude. As for large drones, we generally use the existing regulations that are specific to airspace and we consider these large drones as aircraft with pilots on board. Some powers often target innocent civilians with their armed drones. To this end, the UN SG had declared “The use of armed drones must be, as with any weapon, governed by the firmly established rules of international law. Everything must be done to avoid mistakes and civilian casualties”. Some experts also demand to avoid extrajudicial executions by these drones.

7- Standardization:

The industry, training and commercialization of drones are facilitated by the establishment of standardization in the field of drones. Moreover, standardization effort in this field is progressing well at the international level. Many developments are underway within the drone standardization commission. Since the publication of the ISO standard, the drone industry has taken off.

                                                             By Rene Serres