DISCOVER THE FLYING MACHINES THAT CAN DELIVER GOODS, EVACUATE INJURED SOLDIERS FROM THE BATTLEFIELD, HELP FARMERS GROW CROPS AND MORE

WORDS AILSA HARVEY

Drones are uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be either autonomous or remotely controlled. While many of their modern applications could have them mistaken for new inventions, drones have existed for many decades. In 1935, between World War I and II, the British Army invented a radio-controlled aircraft to be used for military target practice. The aircraft was called the de Havilland DH82B Queen Bee, but was nicknamed a ‘drone’ and is believed to be the first modern drone. Today, armies own fleets of drones in the tens of thousands, and they have become increasingly popular for private use too. It wasn’t until the 21st century that drones began to be used by civilians for recreational purposes, but today there are

The de Havilland DH82B Queen Bee could be flown crewed or uncrewed more than 885,000 drones registered in the US alone. Smaller drones with high-quality cameras began to be used in film-making, with the first drone scene in a major Hollywood film shot in 2006 for Miami Vice. Since then, aerial shots have become commonplace in setting movie scenes, providing new and artistic perspectives.

These same aesthetic shots can be captured by recreational drone users thanks to the invention of the smartphone. As smartphones became mass produced, the prices of accelerometers, microcontrollers and camera technology reduced, making drones more affordable over time.

An increase in drones comes with increased surveillance, but there are many laws in place surrounding the private use of drones. Every drone owner must register their device and display their unique drone number on the aircraft at all times. There are also laws and distance restrictions preventing flight over private and residential land to maintain privacy.