How Drones Have Revolutionized Navigation

Drones have truly revolutionized navigation!

The versatility of drones have made mapping of terrain relatively easy. Drones are able to provide highly detailed information of the environment that is not attainable from satellites.

It has become fairly common for companies such as SenseFly and photography company Pix4D to launch drones to navigate and scan such mountains as Materhorn, one of the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps. The drones navigated and scanned Matterhorn in just six hours and created a very detailed 3D model by providing 300 million mapping points of the famous mountain.

Will drones map the entire world in the future?

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) use the global positioning system (GPS), which is a broadcast radio system that is highly accessible, because it reaches almost all areas of planet earth.

GPS was developed by the US military in 1973 in order to develop an accurate navigation system for ICBMs. It is a satellite navigation system that uses a radio receiver to collect signals from orbiting satellites to determine position, speed, and time. This navigation system is more accurate than other forms of navigation, and provides position information to within a few meters. There are also advanced GPS systems that can provide even more accurate information to within a few centimeters.

Because the integrated circuits of GPS receivers have been miniaturized, GPS has become relatively inexpensive and thus affordable to everyone.

Most GPS receivers only receive signals from one of the satellite systems. However, multiple sources for their use of signals are available. This is related to the concept of triangulation in which a position is determined on the ground. Triangulation is a process where the location of a radio receiver can be determined by measuring the radial distance of the received signal from different sources.

The distribution of GPS satellites in the US is such that at least four satellites are visible from any location. Therefore it is possible to combine signals from GPS, GLONASS and Galileo which can greatly increase the positional accuracy and thereby eliminate the problem of tall buildings blocking.

How Drones Operate

The control of any drone always lies with the pilot who, for less expensive drones, uses visual tracking to determine its position and orientation.

Beginner drones usually do not have GPS, but more advanced drones make use of GPS receivers within the navigation and control loop which allows for some smart GPS drone navigation features that include:

  • Position Hold: Allows the drone to maintain position at a fixed altitude and location.
  • Return to Home: The drone remembers the spot from which it took off, and at the press of the return to home button, it will automatically return to this spot.
  • Autonomous Flight: The flight path of the drone can be predetermined by establishing GPS waypoints that define the trajectory. Then upon execution, the drone will use autopilot to follow this path.

All of these features require the use of a GPS drone system, so it is important for a drone pilot to have a basic understanding of how GPS works.

In case the GPS doesn’t work all of a sudden, then there are a few steps to land the drone safely.

  • Position Hold: Allows the drone to maintain position at a fixed altitude and location.
  • Return to Home: The drone remembers the spot from which it took off , and at the press of the return to home button, it will automatically return to this spot.
  • Autonomous Flight: The flight path of the drone can be predetermined by establishing GPS waypoints that define the trajectory. Then upon execution, the drone will use autopilot to follow this path. “How Drone Navigation Works,” (2020).

All of these features require the use of a GPS drone system, so it is important for a drone pilot to have a basic understanding of how GPS works.

In case you have the unlikely experience of having the GPS not work all of a sudden, then here are a few steps to land the drone safely.

  • Make sure that the “F” switch is in the middle. Also check to see an orange colored bar at the top of the screen in your viewing device that reads “No Positioning” or “Altitude Marred.”
  • Ensure that you are in a wide open space with little or no traffic around before attempting landing. As the wind condition affects the balance and position of the drone, it is important that there is sufficient free space around to get a better feel for what is happening.
  • Make sure that the process is solely managed by your own guidance. You need to keep within eyesight of the drone even if you have to try to strongly and instinctively maneuver the drone to keep some semblance of stability. This can be dangerous if this happens around obstacles such as trees, buildings, etc. or indoors. Mark, “The Best Way to Fly Drones Without GPS” (August 1, 2017).

It is clear that in such an unfortunate circumstance where you are flying without GPS, that you rely to a great extent on your own instincts, knowledge and common sense.

In spite of the concerns of issues related to privacy and safety, drones are here to stay. In fact, they have already made a significant impact in numerous industries, businesses, and homes.

Drones have been selling at a very rapid pace. The FAA’s latest numbers who have registered consumer drones are over one million for 2018. That should not be surprising when we understand that according to Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon, 86% of their orders weigh less than  5 lbs. Drones are able to carry many more pounds than that, and so Amazon will soon be able to deliver a numerous amount of products within 30 minutes from the time the order comes in.

Another astounding statistic is that 70% of people in the US live within 5 miles of Walmart. These two giants are examples of what lies ahead and drones are, and will continue to be, up in front leading other future life-revolutionizing technology.

There is no doubt that drones will affect our everyday lives in many ways. Although in many ways they already are affecting our world, they will continue to do so in ways that we have yet to experience.

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