Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
Audience and Scope
Many people may imagine or think that they want to fly in the sky in order to see the whole world with their own eyes. By the technologies of 20th century, there must be a human who mostly takes care of the aircraft by steering, which is called HMI (Human-Machine Interface). However, today’s technology allows us to fly without any driver in an aircraft by operating it on the ground, which is called Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Most people may believe that this great development has been innovated just for the national security or peaceful world against war. Is the UAV technology just for those sorts of issues other than another reason? Furthermore, this UAV technical document would explain the readers what the UAV is and also tell them what it may affects us in our future.
U.A.V????
UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, is operating by remote control on the ground. Although this innovation is just getting started to impose into the military system in 21st century, we could also begin to save more lives by using this development against terrorism or war. Even this great development is created for military purpose at first, there are various different reasons or ways how this system could be used in these days. It is very important and meaningful that how this system would be used in different ways and what results would be caused by this innovation in our future.
How do aeronautic or aerial vehicles work?
First of all, how does airplane fly with what principle? There are 4 different physical forces used in order to the heavy object to make floating. To make aircraft floating in the air, all of 4 forces must be balanced equally. If the lift force is more than the weight force (= gravity), the object will be lifted to the upper atmosphere layer. If the force of thrust is greater than the force of drag, the forward speed of the aircraft will be increased. It is easy to predict from the principles that if the two conditions are satisfied on aircrafts, those can be floated from the ground when it tries to take off.
How UAV looks like?
Figure 1 : Basic structure of typical UAV
There are 4 basic components (in figure 1) that should be on UAV.
- UAV body – A simple and light body that satisfy aerodynamic properties and lower gravity.
- UAV bars – Wings or bars that contain the propellers in order to make aircraft float.
- Flight Controller – A control sensor for the controller on the ground while the vehicle is flying.
- Cinematic Gimball (=Camera) – A technical or professional camera in order to control the aircraft or record every moment as important evidences, etc.
What is happening while UAV is in the sky?
There are many explanations while the UAVs are in the air in different purposes. If an UAV which is just for recreational way, it is only single connection between the controller and the aircraft. This is very simple and easy to describe what is happening in this case. However, let’s see if UAV was using as a military purpose.
Figure 2 : How UAV and the controller of itself communicate
Communication is the most important method in UAV technology. It looks pretty simple when we see the picture of UAV communications (figure 2). However, it may be too hard to understand the technical detail of how the signal from the mission control station reaches to the satellite in the space.
It is very easy to get the whole picture of the communications between two main signal transporters and UAV if we think that these communications are like smartphones. Most people in 21st century are using smartphones which are based on touch screen and high speed electronic devices by using signals through satellites if they need to. It basically sends the signal to the telecommunication company stations and the signals are transported to their own satellites in the space. After transporting the signal from the stations, the satellites also send the signals to the stations and the smartphone users with the information that the users wanted.
As like this transporting or communicating aspect of smartphones in our daily lives, the principles of UAV communications are very similar and easy to understand.
- Signals from ‘Headquarters’ or ‘Mission Control Station’ to the Satellites for new commands.
- After getting the signals from the stations on the ground, send signals to UAVs immediately for their next moves.
- Getting various different or new missions from the satellites with the new signals while being operated by remote control from the ground.
Pros & Cons of UAV
1. Advantages of UAV
– Saves lives: Greatly reduce putting military personnel in harm’s way or in combat.
– Low risk: Because of smaller size of drones (or UAVs), it can fly lower than regular airplanes which means less risk to military hardware.
– Low cost: It is significantly cheaper to purchase, fuel, and maintain than traditional aircrafts.
– Duration: It can stay in operation for significantly longer hours of operation without fatigue.
2. Disadvantages of UAV
– Limited Abilities: It is very obvious limitations as robots. For instance, they cannot communicate with humans for more detailed intelligence. They also cannot capture surrendering military personnel, abandoned hardware, or military bases.
– Civilian Losses: Drone warfare often causes collateral damages in civilian lives and property, as well as traditional warfare too.
– Job losses: If the amounts of drones (military UAVs) increase than the soldiers or humans, there will be less probability to become a combat soldier but being nominated in different positions.
– Over investments: Since today’s UAV technology is developed very highly and significantly, there are too many investments in drones or military purposes than few years ago which could cause of over investment in nation’s economy. (figure 3)
Figure 3: Investment in UAV industries
Unmanned technology which is similar as robot industries has improved significantly throughout the world by many scientists. Since this technology has been developed with the main purpose which is for human safety against dangerous situations such as terrorism or warfare, this technology is also developed in our daily life in order to provide more comfortability and safety of humans’ life. There might be much more advantages of using UAV or unmanned utilities for now, however, there must be more advantages which could make humans’ lives dangerous or unfortunate. Although, the costs and the risk of UAV is much less than the traditional airplanes, UAV would be useless metal object if there was disconnections between control station, satellites, and UAV itself. Even if today’s robot is still useful and provides more comfortability to humans, we need to realize and try to keep our developments on a right track without any harm damages in human lives.
References
The websites that the writer could refer to and get information:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/03/unmanned-flight/horgan-text
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle
http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/airplanes1.htm
http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/west/2014/01/27/243441.htm
Images that the writer used from:
http://industryreportstore.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-global-uav-payload-market-2012-2022.html
http://jaredzichek.com/hale-uav-for-the-air-national-guard/
http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/airplanes1.htm