Drones' Capacity in Civil Engineering

Drones refer to aircrafts that are controlled by pilots from the ground following a pre-programmed mission. The different types of drones available worldwide all fall into two categories; those that are used for pre-study purposes and those that are used for purposes of military activities. Such drones used for military purposes are armed with missiles and bombs in readiness for attacks. Drones can stay aloft for several hours, unlike manned aircrafts that do not fly for many hours non-stop. They are also cheaper than other aircrafts since they are flown remotely, hence there is no danger to the flight crew. Information from research shows that drones are pretty easy to learn how to operate. Any individual can learn how to fly them with a little bit of practice. Research also has it that it is significant to fly the drones with a lot of caution and with safety in mind as drones is different and requires different understanding to fly safely (Elias 1).

Purposes of Drones

Drones are used by individuals for recreational purposes on different occasions. The drones are fitted with cameras and are often controlled by Smart phones. The different kinds of drones with varying number of propellers can fly in the skies for as low as 400 ft. The drones used for recreational purposes provide vantage points to those in vacations or those intending to go for vacations. They provide professional navigation and informative interest pieces in the rapidly evolving drone world (Cavoukian 6)

Drones are also used by Ariel photographers to capture landscapes from previously impossible to reach altitudes. They are quite useful to real-estate agents for showcasing properties from breathtaking perspectives. The unmanned aircrafts are also useful to farming companies since the farmers in such companies utilize the 3D mapping captured by the aircrafts to diagnose crop health and optimize growing potential of companies (Elias 17).

Apart from farming and individual recreational purposes, drones are also used by individuals and companies in the shooting of videos that capture the Aerial view. The facilities fitted with cameras in front capture clear scenery that are later edited for production purposes. Above all, drones are utilized by militants in situations where manned flights are considered too risky and difficult. The drones provide troops with 24-hour supervision in the sky for unto a week. Real time images of the activities going on in the ground are sent by the UAVs to the troops. Drones are also used by many in the military as delivering precision strikes without the need for more intrusive military action. The drones have a cruise speed of up to 370Kph which is much faster than the speed of the ordinary predator that can easily be shot at low altitudes. In most cases, drones will be flown above the range of most of the weapons available to the Taliban (Enemark 22).

In the past British safety operations, the armed forces have exploited various types of UAVs for intelligence operations. The British defense force has utilized the UAVs in the Islamic states of Iraq and Afghanistan, alongside other smaller UAVs to assist in checking for roadside bombs ahead of patrols. The army has also utilized other types of UAVs in fending off attacks and performing the intelligence gathering, surveillance, and striking roles. Drones have lately been used for domestic surveillance to monitor individual conversations, make possible machine recognition of faces and behaviors. Such surveillance takes place up in the sky and sometimes goes unnoticed (Cavoukian 7).

Using Drones in Civil Engineering Scope

Drones are currently used in the field of engineering in different projects where the knowledge of operating a drone reflects the operation of some machines. For instance, gyroscopes, accelerometers, and data sensors are pieces of equipment drones use to fly. Such equipment is applicable to the airplane as the required thrust and power in an aircraft is made possible through the use of similar equipment used in drones (Hurt 96).

Drones would benefit engineering projects aimed at studying the effect of speed in airplanes. Since there is reduced risk to human life in the usage of drones, it is not very difficult in using drones to carry out experiments on the effect of speed to aircrafts. The unmanned aircraft are used to carry out such experiments in areas where there is nobody walking on the ground to minimize risks associated with excessive speed. As explained in Aerodynamics research articles, the airspeed around a moving object would be greatly affected, leading to a lot of friction and viscosity effects. Drones would, therefore, be the ideal instruments in carrying out speed related experiments (Hurt 6).

In the engineering projects, drones would be very helpful to the young people who are studying aerodynamics and different engineering fields that deal with speed issues. Since drones are easy to use after some time of practice, the engineering personnel would control the facilities by themselves to gain the required experience in the Aerodynamics engineering. Besides, there are drones that are specifically modified to be used by beginners who will crush several times before being experts in the field. Such drones are helpful to engineering students who study the operations of airplanes.

In determining plane performances in different areas, drones would be very significant in accessing areas that are considered risky to human life. The drones could also be used to access places that have not been accessed by aircraft before. While flying over such areas, the drones, attached with cameras would capture aerial photography, collecting data that would not have been easy collecting. Given that drones are operated from the ground, information that is obtained in the risky landscapes is recorded immediately for future reference and analysis during the projects. The drones, therefore, would increase the accuracy in the engineering experiments as data is recorded immediately upon its collection. Again, the drones come in different sizes and shape hence ensuring safety in several engineering industries (Elias 7).

Information gathered from projects that aim at improving safety in the skies would ensure that the aircrafts are made in specific shapes and sizes to go through specific areas as indicated by the drones. Data collected from drones would be useful in detecting drug smugglers in the sky since the sensors used in the engineering projects are also aimed at fighting the issue of drug smuggling in the air transport industry. The data collected while using drones would be helpful in fighting forest fires due to the capability of the drones to reach and detect areas deep into the forest that are occasionally affected by the forest fires. The data would be useful in the formulation of strategies that would help in the fight against extreme atmospheric conditions (Cavoukian 3).

In a nutshell, drones are used globally to perform a variety of functions that would be much difficult to perform using the manned aircraft. In the future, aerial drones may be part of everyday lives, performing numerous useful functions. With the improving technology, drones would be a perfect solution for fighting terrorism and improving skills in the farming and entertainment industries.