Drone Technology

 Drone 

A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or remotely piloted aircraft.

History of Drone Technology:

"Drones have come a long way! The first drone, the "Aerial Target" (1916), was a British-made pilotless aircraft. In the 1930s, the US developed the "Radio plane OQ-2" for military use. Modern drones emerged in the 1990s with GPS and autopilot systems.

 

General Provisions:

1. Drone Operator Permit: Drone operators must obtain a Drone Operator Permit or Remote pilot certificate (RPC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA.

2. Unique Identification Number: All drones must have a Unique Identification Number issued by the DGCA.

3. All drones except Nano drones (Weighing less than 250 grams) must be registered with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

4. The drone operator must be at least 18 years old and not more than 65 years

5. The operator must have passed Class 10th or equivalent examination.

6. The operator must undergo drone pilot training from a DGCA

7. Drones cannot fly above 400 feet (120 meters) above ground level.

8. Drone operators must maintain a visual line of sight with the drone at all times.

 

Uses of Drone:

Today, drones are used for  military use, agriculture, construction, logistics, media and disaster management, law enforcement and public safety, monitoring climate change, carrying out search operations in natural disasters, delivering goods,, photography filming geographic mapping traffic management , bomb detection (digital smelling technology ) bomb disposal, crowd monitoring etc.

Now a day drone based applications being explored in India for human being facilities on-

1.         Media and entertainment

2.         Mining

3.         Infrastructure

4.         Energy and utilities

5.         Agriculture

6.         Insurance

 

Classification of Drone /unmanned aircraft Systems

    Drones are categorized into five types

1. Nano UAV: Weighing less than or equal to 250 grams.

2. Micro UAV: Weighing more than 250 grams, but less than or equal to 2 kgs

3. Small UAV: Weighing more than 2 kgs, but less than or equal to 25 kgs

4. Medium UAV: Weighing more than 25 kgs, but less than or equal to 150 kgs

5. Large UAV: Weighing more than 150 kgs

 

Conclusion :

Drone technology have been increasing uses in various sector. The drone laws and regulations are in place to ensure safe and responsible drone operations. Drone operators must comply with the provisions of Indian Laws. Failure to comply can result in penalties, including fines and imprisonment as per Indian Act and Rule.