Innholdsfortegnelse for The Drones Book 3rd Edition i The Drones Book

Drones are everywhere. And while the term ‘drone’ may have picked up negative connotations due to its use by the media when reporting on the role they play in the military, nowadays drones have become part of everyday life for many people. As prices have dropped and availability has increased, the range of affordable drones on offer to people has skyrocketed, meaning anyone can get involved and start flying today. In this book we’ll take you through all the basics, and examine some of the best drones and accessories on the market. You’ll then find inspirational guides to show you what you can do with your drone, and even build your own. On top of that, discover the amazing ways drones are being used today and how they are changing…

You could go on Amazon right now and take your pick from more than 700 different drones. However, you might encounter a problem when it comes to choosing which one to buy, as you will be swamped with jargon and reviews. Quadcopters cross lines between electronics, hobbyist products and, in some cases, even toys. So, high-street stores that sell any of these could also sell drones. The electronics company Maplin, for example, offers a number of UAVs, but not every store will necessarily have every product. Once you have an idea of the type of drone you want, and the amount of money you can afford to spend on it, use online sites to narrow down your search. Read the reviews on these sites, but remember to read them with…

ENSURE IT’S LEGAL ● THE LAWS SURROUNDING drones are constantly changing and being readdressed. One of the most important things to do before you even take your drone out for the first test flight is to do some research and understand the basic laws regarding flying a drone in your country. Ignorance is not an excuse, and you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the law before you’ve even got the most out of your drone. There are limits to where you can fly, especially near people, airports and military bases, so check before you head out and about. Use your common sense and always make sure you’re abiding by the rules. KNOW YOUR BOUNDARIES ● THERE’S A REASON so many stunning drone videos are of landscapes:…

Not everyone has caught the quadcopter bug yet, but so many people have that you will be able to find someone out there who has answers to your questions. They’ll have them because they’re likely to have been through the issue you’re facing. Groups are brilliant for offering information on the different types of drones and the best ways to use them. You’ll find that there are groups of people online who are interested in very specific machines or uses, such as owners of Phantom products or people who are into shooting location video. There are also groups that are much more general, and people belong to one or more of both sorts. Note that not all online groups (for any subject) are always welcoming to absolute beginners. Don’t take…

As technology advances and prices fall, the demand for consumer drones continues to grow. Drones are available in all shapes and sizes from the tiny, entry-level Blade Nano QX to the high-end, professional Turbo Ace Matrix. It can all be a bit confusing, as these remote control or autonomous aircraft go by a variety of names, including UAVs, drones and quadcopters. These are largely interchangeable, although the term quadcopter refers to the number of rotors. From as little as £40/$60, you can experience the fun and excitement of owning a drone without breaking the bank. Explore, perform stunts, and even play multiplayer games. You can choose from a range of drones to suit your budget and experience level. With so many drones on the market, it can be hard to…

Drone filming is big news on television right now. Almost every time you sit down to watch, there will be some great sequences showing buildings and places in a way we’ve never seen before. Many of us would love to try our hand at drone photography and filming, but don’t know where to start. So here’s our guide to getting started, along with some tips on what to watch for and how to avoid the pitfalls. CHOOSING A SUITABLE DRONE FOR PHOTOS & FILMING Drone and camera technology is advancing all the time. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending money on a quadcopter and camera that just a few weeks later is replaced by a better model. But quadcopter technology at a price point that’s affordable has now matured into…

We’ve been coming up with ways to make our lives easier for centuries, starting with the invention of the wheel. Today, many people look upon the drone phenomenon as either something used by the military, or a bit of harmless fun that keeps enthusiasts busy when they’re not playing with metal detectors. Many people don’t realise that drones have the potential to become a very useful thing to have around the home. We look at ways for people to use drones in their everyday lives and how they might help us still further in future. PAYLOAD LIFTING DRONES Most drones in the marketplace today have been designed to lift a simple, fixed payload. That payload is almost exclusively a camera, as we satisfy our obsession on being able to triumphantly…

Thanks to a drop in manufacturing costs, and rapid advances in technology, drones have flown into many professional and recreational areas in the last few years. In the next few chapters you will discover how drones are being used to help keep firefighters safe, assist rangers in spotting potential poachers, enable news gatherers to report from disaster zones, and keep maps up to date. There are also film makers who are using drones to replace traditional filmmaking equipment, such as the steadicam, as well as enabling them to get shots that would be too dangerous and expensive to capture using a helicopter. With drone technology (and the surrounding legislation on who can fly what where) changing on a monthly basis, discover how a range of pilots are using drones today…

To discover how RPAs (remotely piloted aircraft) are increasingly being used in the news-gathering field, Mark Corcoran, a veteran news journalist with a particular interest in ultilising drone technology for this purpose, gave us an insight into how times have changed. Mark was a globe-trotting reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Company’s Foreign Correspondent programme for 15 years, and it was while on assignment in South Beirut during the 2006 Hezbollah/Israel war that he first encountered drones. Although the term drone is now used generically for all types of UAVs, it has a military origin. The drones that Mark regularly encountered back in 2006 certainly deserved that designation. “I was just taken by the sheer number of Israeli drones in the airspace at any one time, with varying capabilities. During one…

With a range of wildlife habitats to survey, what’s the best type of drone for the job? Multirotor or fixed wing? Serge Wich from ConservationDrones shares the results of his extensive in-the-field experience… “If you need to cover a small area, a multirotor is fine. And also, where there is no place to land a fixed wing then you are almost forced to use a multirotor, which has vertical takeoff and landing – the openspace requirements are much smaller. Another advantage of multirotors is that it’s much easier for people to be trained on using them because the landing and takeoff part is easier than with a fixed wing. “Most of the multirotor systems have a GPS mode, so whenever you let go of your control stick, that unit will…

Since the invention of photography, many people have been absolutely fascinated by capturing a bird’s-eye view of the world in photographic form. Gaspard-Félix Tournachon shot the first aerial images from a balloon over Paris back in 1858. Perhaps a more accessible way for photographers to get an eye into the sky was kite aerial photography (KAP). With the advent of affordable digital cameras in the mid to late Nineties, KAP became very popular, as people strapped their compact digital cameras onto kites, set the timer and launched them into the air. This desire to take aerial photographs was a driving force for many professionals to start using drones and to realise their potential in this market, including Stef Williams of Aerialworx: “I always wanted to take a camera to the…

We have reached the tipping point. Drones and UAVs are now cheaper, more accessible and more capable than ever before. Lightweight lithium batteries and high-powered brushless motors already provide enough power to keep sizeable payloads in the air for 20 minutes at a time. Now the focus has turned to adding extra intelligence. Faster and more sophisticated flight controllers will soon allow multirotor drones to fly more autonomously and more safely, and this opens up entirely new possibilities for UAVs. FOLLOW DRONES ARE PROGRAMMED TO FOLLOW YOU, WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING NO PILOT REQUIRED 2016 will be the year of the ‘follow drone’. These are quadcopters that don’t need your hands continuously hovering over the joysticks. They are programmed to follow you, whatever you are doing. AirDog, Hexo+ and Lily…

“YOU MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR DRONE IS CAPABLE OF AND PRACTISE FLYING IT” You might have heard of drones in the past, but now suddenly you’re able to buy them! It’s not uncommon to watch a video shot from a drone and immediately want to do the same yourself. As you’ll have discovered by now, there are so many uses for drones that more and more are being thought of every day, and in addition to their practical uses, they’re also fun devices to play with. With great fun comes a great range of choices to make. Quadcopters, multirotors and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are serious tools with specific uses and benefits. Every type has different advantages and disadvantages, but they all share the same issue of security. You won’t…

“GPS KNOWS WHERE YOUR DRONE IS, AND WILL MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THAT”…

Accelerometer: An electronic instrument used for measuring acceleration on a given path. Attitude: If you’re new to flying, don’t mix this up with altitude (height). Attitude is the orientation of the UAV, whether it’s tilting forward or flying upside down. Autonomous: Not subject to outside control, this refers to when a drone is flying by itself on a set path using GPS or other means, rather than actively steered with a controller. Bind: Connecting your controller to your drone. This is like pairing your phone to your earpiece, except it doesn’t normally use Bluetooth of course. CAA (Civil Aviation Authority): The UK’s body in charge of all flight issues and licences. When you read American forums or books, you’ll see reference to their equivalent, the FAA or Federal Aviation Authority.…

Three years ago, if you wanted a quadcopter you had to build it. Now there are several companies producing affordable, easy-tofly multirotors that fly straight out of the box. But that doesn’t mean the days of DIY drones are over. In fact, there has never been a better time to build your own. Drone components have become cheaper and more modular, and the software that controls them is more stable and easier to use than ever before. Even if your ultimate intention is to fly a Parrot Bebop or a DJI Phantom 3, there is a lot to be gained from building your own quadcopter first. You’ll end up with a much better understanding of how the different flight systems work together and you’ll have an aircraft that is much…

Many people see modern drones as something mainly used by filmmakers and hard-core technology geeks. UAVs can be seen as elitist, hard to fly and needing considerable technical skills as well as exceptional hand-eye coordination. In fact, the technology in modern UAVs means that radio-controlled flying is easier and more accessible than ever before. If you’re thinking of investing in a quadcopter of your own, but worry that it may be just a fad and will soon be forgotten at the back of the spare room, here are a few ideas on fun things to do with a drone that anyone can try, which will stop you becoming bored with your UAV. ALL THE FAMILY CAN FLY Until recently, the best you could expect from any radio-controlled flying device was…

The accessibility of drones has exploded in recent years. Once solely a military venture, drones, UAVs, quadcopters, or whatever you want to call them, are becoming commonplace. Whether it’s to help with the shopping or delivering post, a quick breeze through the internet and you can buy (almost) whichever one you like. Crucially, various sets of rules and regulations have been put in place in the wake of this public drone explosion. These guidelines vary from region to region, with some countries more strict than others. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) controls everything drone in the USA, while the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) performs the same role in the UK. Both have devised a series of standards that will allow for close regulation but also the flexibility to accommodate future…

The commercial and hobbyist unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are in other chapters of this book can trace their ancestors back to a military source. It was the military who were motivated to research and develop UAV technology, and who had the resources to do so. Some might trace UAVs back to the German-built V1 and V2 flying bombs of World War II, but these ‘doodlebugs’ were more akin to single-use missiles than today’s remotely piloted UAVs. The term ‘drone’ has traditionally been used to describe military UAVs. This military connotation has been a concern for some civilian UAV users who we interviewed. Craig Jump from Sky View Video explains: “One of the reasons I don’t like to use the word ‘drone’ is because people think of military aircraft with…

Flying a drone safely while simultaneously capturing high-quality video of a live event would be too challenging a task for an individual. Mark Corcoran explains how a newsgathering drone operating team needs to work together to generate aerial footage in challenging locations: “There is overlap. You’ve got a dedicated pilot, a second person can be calling the shots in a busy environment and there is also someone controlling the vicinity of the pilot. One thing I found is that you get a lot of onlookers; people who want to know what’s going on. They can obstruct the view of the pilot. Sometimes where you are you might get someone who is angry about the fact that there is a drone around. So you have to explain what’s going on. You…

One organisation that can help us understand how UAVs are being used to aid geographical mapping is the UK’s Ordnance Survey – a British, governmentowned organisation that has been producing highly detailed maps for many centuries. Chief Executive Neil Ackroyd explained to us how the organisation is working with UAVs to complement the use of aircraft in producing detailed maps of the UK: “At any one time during the flying season, we are flying around five fixed-wing aircraft, so we cover more than 80,000km² of the country. Those aircraft have very high resolution cameras.” So, while the organisation’s manned aircraft can produce high-resolution maps of large areas, there are occasions when a UAV is useful to survey a specific area, especially if that location that is changing on a daily…

The Lily Camera will follow the wearer of a tracker wherever they go, but it cannot detect obstacles, such as trees or power cables, in its path. However, this senseand-avoid capability could be just around the corner, as Antoine Balaresque from Lily explains: “There are a lot of start-up companies working on sense and avoid. There are also a lot of big companies and research labs working on it too. It’s a very popular problem right now, because it’s on the verge of being solved, and that’s why so many people are working on it.” So, what exactly would sense and avoid mean for UAV users? Dan Sheills from SkyVue Media is rather excited by the possibilities: “It’s when a drone can see an obstacle and it knows to avoid…

The Raspberry Pi is a fantastic piece of kit. The possibilities it offers are virtually endless, including taking your skills and programming a quadcopter. Kits are available as ready-to-fly (RTF) if you just want the joy of flight, but where’s the challenge in that? We started with an almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) kit – the DJI Flame Wheel F450 – all the hardware, but none of the control electronics or software. Many enthusiasts have created DIY quadcopters using Arduino microcontrollers, so we knew a DIY build was possible, but very few, if any, have successfully used the Raspberry Pi. This article uses the Python code that can be found here http://pastebin.com/dDz7LxyQ as a guide through what’s needed to build a quadcopter, metaphorically bolting it together so that by the end, you don’t…

Drones are now common enough that there are stores that stock them and, of course, online shops that sell different types. The differences can be as obvious as cost and manufacturer, but more importantly affect how much work you have to do. You’re not likely to ever be able to fly a drone home straight from the shop. There are some that need assembling, and some that just need their batteries charged up first. Drones are highly complex devices that rely on so many different parts. The more your interest and hobby develops, and the more experience you gain, the more you’re going to be aware of these components. You’ll no doubt start off buying a complete drone, but later on you might prefer to assemble one yourself in order…

Your drone is subject to enormous stresses. Each of its rotors is really trying to spin the entire machine and, although having four or more of them cancels that out, it strains the entire airframe. Drones have to be light too, so there are limits to how strong they can be, and if you want to keep your one working well, you need to know how to maintain it. There are two things you should always do: check the batteries and bring spares. Batteries decline in power over time and if they are not handled well, so get used to having spares when you can and making sure you use them fully. That’s harder in a drone than, say, a mobile phone because leaving them on means leaving the device…

First-person view, or FPV, means you see what your drone sees. Instead of just squinting up at your quadcopter from the ground, you can see the live view through the on-board camera, using special goggles or a portable monitor. This lets you fly further, higher and faster without getting disorientated. Watching from the ground, it’s all too easy to lose track of which way your drone is facing and whether you need to reverse the stick inputs to make it turn the right way. When you’re flying FPV, left and right never get reversed, because your perspective is the same as your drone’s. Flying FPV is also a lot more immersive. You don’t need to wait until you land to see the aerial footage; you can experience it as you…

Take any invention or method of conveyancing and transportation from across the ages, and you will find that somewhere, humans have been racing it. From Roman chariots and horses to the first aircraft and internal combustion engines, it wasn’t long before we were creating racing circuits as we continued hunting our new fix for adrenaline. It’s a long-held belief that warfare and competition are the two elements that advance developments in any area, and drone technology is no different. Welcome to the world of drone racing. Drone racing is a 21st Century motorsport. A unique and intoxicating combination of PC gaming, gladiatorial motorsport, Hollywood movie effects and, of course, adrenaline. As with any form of competition, the origins of drone racing are unclear. In all probability, it started with a…

Drones were invented for exploration. From the early Cold War space satellites that photographed our surrounding planets, through bomb disposal robotics to the latest military search and destroy UAVs, we have been sending drones into situations too risky for humans for many years. Drone technology is now accessible to all of us at a price point that we can only have imagined just a few years ago. And while we may not be able to reach up into the stratospheric levels of spy planes, we now have small, ultra-light quadcopters that let us see our immediate surroundings as never before. We take a look at ways to explore your surroundings and discover new viewpoints of the places we’ve previously only seen from eye level. BEST DRONES FOR EXPLORING The best…

01 AIDING FARMERS A DRONE IS a cheap and effective way to survey large areas of farmland. With a multi-band sensor on a drone, farmers can capture images of crop using non-visible light. This enables them to produce information about the growth of the crop, and deploy fertiliser precisely where it’s required. These sensors also reveal crop health, so pesticides can be applied strategically rather than universally. 02 FORECASTING THE WEATHER HURRICANES AND STORMS often cause loss of life and damage property, but with advanced warning, the damage can be reduced and lives saved. UAVs, such as AeroVironment’s Global Observer, can keep an eye on developing weather conditions in real-time, and supply remote imagery and storm data to assist with life-saving measures. If terrestrial communications equipment, such as cell towers,…

“THERE IS A CONCERN THAT THE USE OF THESE REMOTE SYSTEMS IS ACTUALLY LOWERING THE THRESHOLD FOR WAR” Although UAV technology enables the military to fight an enemy at a safe distance, this does raise several important issues, as Chris Cole from Drone Wars UK explains: “One of the restraints on military intervention overseas is the human and political cost of sending young men and women overseas, only for them to come back in body bags. However, if you take that cost away, then it makes it much easier to choose military intervention, because it’s perceived as being low-cost and quicker. Rather than seeking a slow, diplomatic, political solution, there is a concern that the use of these remote systems is actually lowering the threshold for war, making it much…

“OUR FIRST MISSION WAS REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN TERMS OF VIDEO AND PHOTO FOOTAGE” One of the biggest challenges faced by conservationists and those working with wild animals is how to cover the huge areas of terrain occupied by the creatures that they are trying to protect. Certain habitats, such as dense jungles, are also difficult to traverse. Serge Wich is a Professor in Primate Biology at Liverpool John Moores University and his research often takes him into the wild. He is also the co-founder of ConservationDrones, an organisation whose title does what it says on the tin. Serge explains how the organisation came to be. “We had been doing survey work for quite a few years in South East Asia and figured that it would be good if there was…

Although the military have been using drones for decades, it’s only in the last few years that drones have been adopted and deployed by emergency services, such as the fire brigade, coastguard and police. This is partly due to recent technological advances that have made drones cheaper to buy and easier to use. However, most emergency services are still not using drones due to legislation that makes it difficult to deploy them in populated areas. One of the first organisations to add a UAV to their kit list was the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) in the UK. We spoke to fire officer Andy Cashmore to see how the WMFS deploys its multirotor to assist the fire service and police. Cashmore filled us in on the history of their aerial…

Sky View Video’s Craig Jump explains how the data captured by drones is converted into maps: “You can take a number of images – they don’t have to be that accurate in terms of location, or have GPS data – and you can use tools, such as PIX4D, to stitch the images together and create a kind of 3D Google map. This tool will allow you to export to a common graphic information system (GIS), and it will also enable you to do things such as create videos of a virtual flythrough of a landscape, or even a building, like a castle or ruin, for example. “Now, you can also take that one step further: you can use global-positioningsystem (GPS) reference images, which makes it a bit easier on the…

“THERE ARE MANY FILM- PRODUCTION COMPANIES WHO SPECIALISE IN DRONE-BASED FILM PRODUCTION” For decades, filmmakers have enjoyed incorporating technological advances into the way that they work. In the Seventies, the advent of the steadicam rig enabled filmmakers to produce floating shots using a handheld camera. Long, uninterrupted shots that followed actors as they walked and talked became part of everyday film language thanks to this technology. With the development of drones, filmmakers are discovering more ways to capture distinctive footage for a wide range of film, TV and corporate productions. Indeed, there are now many film-production companies who specialise in drone-based film production, such is the demand for affordable aerial filmography by the industry. While planning a TV commercial, energy company EDF wanted to show the journey of various energy…

When you really get down to the core process of controlling a drone, it can get a little boring. A button you press relates to a specific bit of code, which then sends a specific signal to the drone. This can translate to ‘make rotor two go faster’ on a quadcopter to rotate or bank the craft slightly. While that might take away from the fun of actually flying the drone, it does open up many possibilities. How can you tap into that code and fly it yourself more manually? What are the limits of what you can do when not restricted to the controls given to you? Luckily, some very clever people have thought about this and created modules for the programming language Python; modules that you can then…