Photo by david henrichs on Unsplash

For those who have heard of flying drones but have never researched into the topic, a drone is, simply put, an unmanned aircraft. It comes in different sizes and can cover different ranges. The technology behind it can somewhat resemble that of an airplane, such as the rigid wing drone, a helicopter, such as a single rotor one, while one can also find fixed wing hybrids and multirotor drones. Having in mind the versatility of the offer, the price range is also quite broad.

However, if individuals wish to acquire a drone, they need to check the laws of their country since there might be certain restrictions or they might need special permissions. Also, some countries have banned the usage of drones altogether which means that people need to be extra careful when going to a foreign country with a drone. For the sake of simplifying this broad topic, here is an overview of a few drone types based on their potential usage.

Hobby drones

If you wish to purchase a drone for personal use, just to try out this interesting piece of technology as a beginner, you are in need of what can be called a hobby drone. In that case, you would need a mid-sized machine with larger propellers and frames and you can expect to spend anywhere from $50.00 to $500.00, depending on your budget and your wishes. For a complete beginner, you might want to try it out indoors first, just to get some idea about the commands and the movements, just be careful not to break something in that space you choose as an exercise room. Once you are ready to go outdoors, you will most probably relax soon and you might even want to try it out at night, for which as a hobbyist you don’t need any special permissions.

Aerial photography drones

If you are a photographer fascinated with the workings of aerial photography and you wish to try it yourself, then a cutting-edge Dji drone could satisfy your need for longer flight times. You will perhaps need a bit of time to get the knack of it but as soon as you connect your smartphone via an app to your handheld remote-control unit, it will be easier to maneuver to where you want it to. When it comes to camera features, it can offer both auto and full manual control, and even time-lapse. In case you enjoy it so much and forget to pay attention to the battery level, the drone will take care of it by detecting when your battery is getting low and it will automatically go into RTH (return-to-home) mode which will then return safely to you.

Image by Thomas Ehrhardt from Pixabay

Public safety drones

Drones will be increasingly used for public safety in the future and in some countries, their wise application is already on-going. When it comes to the police force, the benefits of using drones include capturing and storing high-resolution footage which gives police officers an opportunity to deal with other tasks. With firefighters, the usage of drones can save lives since they can help them decide, for instance, that it is not worth the risk to enter in a flaming building if there are no people in there but only physical property. Drones might be soon found flying over correctional facilities since they can be used for surveillance in case of an escape, for instance. This aircraft might also help with carrying medical supplies and locating people drowning or lost hikers. These types of drones are strictly for professional use but it is good to understand the manners in which they can aid us.

Agriculture drones

Somebody who isn’t a farmer might find it strange that unmanned aircraft can aid agriculture but they are in fact doing more than just that. Drones are exceptionally useful tools, especially for farmers with big pieces of land, and they are first and foremost used to inspect the health of crops. Images the drones provide help locate the exact areas where pesticide needs to be applied which is both good for farmer’s budget and for the soil and insects since there are no excess chemicals applied. Besides that, there are specialized agricultural drones which can also do the spraying for you with amazing precision and since their sprayers don’t touch the ground, there is less soil compaction. The usage of drones is more than desirable in areas which are difficult to maneuver with tractors, such as steep slopes. So, in general, we can also find a purpose for drones in food production.

Image by DJI-Agras from Pixabay

In conclusion

These are just a few types of drones based on what they can be used for but there is so much to drones than that. Their technology is developing and so is their range of usage and besides participating in rescue searches, they will be used for facilitating safe routine maintenance tasks with powerlines and cell towers inspections. Bridge inspections can also be performed with the help of drones since observing small details in such big structures is of great importance. Having in mind their scope of usage and the pace of their development, the future is drones is bright and they will continue to fly our sky perhaps even more often.

Bily Bum is an electrical engineer, tech, and gaming fan with 15 years of experience in the technology world. He is also a contributor on site Technivorz.