Drone or UAV?

[CDN Farm Boy]

So are what you guys keep calling drones really a drone or are they actually a UAV? I'm looking for clarification as my understanding of the terms doesn't seem to match.

A UAV (Unmanned Ariel Vehicle) is remotely flown by a 'pilot' who is controlling the thing via radio controls and viewing what's going on thru a camera/monitor to see what's going on. Example: pilot sees a tree approaching in the monitor and then via the remote control tells the UAV to fly around or over as to not crash into it

A drone flies itself. Once it's launched, it makes its own decisions as to what to do based on a preloaded computer program and onboard sensors. Example: sensors detect a tree approaching in the current fight path and computer makes course corrections to fly around/over as to not crash into it.

 

[4570Man]

By your definition some of the high dollar ones are drones, but most are technically UAV's.

 

[Egon]

What about the ones that change control methods mid flight?

 

[PILOON]

What about the ones that change control methods mid flight?

Bi sexual?

 

[Egon]

Bi sexual?

Something like that I guess!

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

By your definition some of the high dollar ones are drones, but most are technically UAV's.

So if I'm right (which is why I was seeking clarification), why then with these things being so new to the general population, why are they almost always incorrectly called drones?

 

[Mendonsy]

Technically "drone" is a much more generic term than UAV. All UAVs are drones, but not all drones are UAVs.
Drone can refer to a UAV, UCAV (the military version), any other type of robotic vehicle, and lots of other things that have nothing to do with robotics like certain types of bees , wasps, and ants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone

 

[Garandman]

So are what you guys keep calling drones really a drone or are they actually a UAV? I'm looking for clarification as my understanding of the terms doesn't seem to match.

A UAV (Unmanned Ariel Vehicle) is remotely flown by a 'pilot' who is controlling the thing via radio controls and viewing what's going on thru a camera/monitor to see what's going on. Example: pilot sees a tree approaching in the monitor and then via the remote control tells the UAV to fly around or over as to not crash into it

A drone flies itself. Once it's launched, it makes its own decisions as to what to do based on a preloaded computer program and onboard sensors. Example: sensors detect a tree approaching in the current fight path and computer makes course corrections to fly around/over as to not crash into it.

The first "drones" were radio controlled aircraft prior to and during WWII. They had to be observed to be controlled, but were much preferable to targets towed by live pilots. Technology was developed so they could be flown remotely by the end of WWII. The Germans had a remotely-controlled plane controlled from another plane and used to attack ships: the English developed the ability to jam them.

Vietnam saw further development of RPV's (Remotely Piloted Vehicles) used mostly for sensor systems.

The development of GPS and miniaturization led to today's products. In general commercial and military manufacturers call them UAV's, while som toy/civilian products are called drones, others call them "aerial platforms".

 

[Daver1963]

The Air Force originally called the Predator and Reaper drones. The it seems that the pilots of said drones got all butt hurt because they felt other pilots were putting them down for being drone pilots. So the Air Force started calling them UAVs so the sensitive pilots wouldn't be insulted by calling them what they were - drone pilots.

A UAV (Unmanned Ariel Vehicle) is remotely flown by a 'pilot' who is controlling the thing via radio controls and viewing what's going on thru a camera/monitor to see what's going on.
A drone flies itself. Once it's launched, it makes its own decisions as to what to do based on a preloaded computer program and onboard sensors.

According to sources I have, some military UAVs are also flown via a preloaded computer program especially if the mission is just photo recon. Depending on where they are located some drones are controlled by a pilot for takeoff and landing, but at some point a program takes over.
Others, depending on the mission again, are controlled locally for takeoff and landing and then handed over to a "pilot" at another location for the flying of the mission.

 

[jymbee]

In general usage, drone, UAV and UAS (unmanned aerial system) are interchangeable. Some owners of "drones" would prefer the term UAV or UAS to avoid the stigma associated with military KILLER DRONES. But IMO it's a losing battle. All these flying contraptions will always be called drones-- not unlike the idiots in the press that call ANY big, yellow earth moving machine a freekin' BULLDOZER.

One of the drones I use has no video downlink and must be flown entirely using visual lines of sight. The other has a video downlink and can fly completely autonomously where I can preprogram a mission, turn it on and take a nap while it takes off, flies the programmed mission and returns to land. Both are drones.