What are drones?

Sometimes referred to as Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), drones are proving to be a notable piece of technology when thinking about the skies of the future. A drone is essentially a miniature aircraft that can be piloted from the ground using a remote control. In the past, drones had only been used by specially trained military personnel and model aircraft enthusiasts. Today, due to continued improvements in technology and lower costs, drones offer a number of versatile uses to many sectors of society.

For example, drones are currently being used by meteorologists to better predict the weather^[1], by farmers who want to develop better agricultural processes, and by disaster response teams who utilise drones to offer a range of critical support.

It is predicted that drones may become the standard mode of delivery for consumer goods in the near future, and be a typical element of light-shows at large-scale concerts or theatre productions.