Explain what a drone is and give some examples of how they can be used.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A drone (more properly called a UAV for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) is an aircraft under autonomous control via a computer system on board or controlled by a human controller at a remote site. In other words, no pilot is on board.The use of a UAV in the most general sense actually dates back much farther than we would expect, to the American Civil War, in which both Union and Confederate troops launched bomb-filled balloons. But the idea of a drone as we think of it today began in the 1960s during the Vietnam War, in which drones were used for reconnaissance missions.Drones are still used primarily for military (or law enforcement) purposes today, but their use will expand into other areas as well. A partial list of what they might do includes• deliver medical supplies or other aid to remote areas;• monitor fires, floods, chemical spills, receding glaciers or volcanic activity;• survey and document livestock or wildlife;• report on urban traffic;• inspect pipelines; and• spray crops.