"Vitryak M" is Ukraine's first technology for detecting enemy FPV drones, developed by the Ministry of Defense, which provides an advantage on the battlefield.
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Microdrones are modern technologies that change the rules of the game in various industries. They are light, maneuverable and versatile, making them indispensable for military, civilian and commercial tasks. Classified by weight, flight time, and range, microdrones are easily adaptable to specific needs. The article examines different types of drones: multi-rotor, fixed-wing drones, and hybrids. Microdrones with a weight of up to 250 grams demonstrate high mobility, but have limitations in carrying capacity. They are ideal for monitoring, aerial photography and tasks in hard-to-reach areas.
Drones are one of the most talked about technologies in the world. Despite attempts by governments to establish clear rules for the use of these devices by private individuals, effective regulation has not yet been achieved. Meanwhile, the drone market is actively developing, showing not only quantitative but also qualitative growth. This material examines the modern capabilities of microdrones and the prospects for their application in various fields.
The variety of unmanned aerial vehicles is so great that before studying their individual types it is worth stopping at a general classification. All drones are divided into three main categories:
Drones with propellers.
Fixed-wing drones.
Hybrid fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VLT) drones.
The most common are quadcopters — drones with four propellers. These devices are often used for shooting videos, participating in races or amateur piloting.
However, the type of wing is not the only thing that distinguishes drones from each other. They are also classified by speed, flight range, power type, carrying capacity and purpose. For example, some models are designed to perform acrobatic tricks, map or deliver cargo.
Propeller drones are considered the most popular due to their versatility and ease of use. At the same time, fixed-wing drones and UAVs are more often used in military operations or in sports competitions that require high speed and piloting skill.
Representatives of this type are Edge-130 drones and Jupiter tricopters.
Tricopters have certain advantages:
they weigh less, so they cost less;
they provide an advantage in acrobatic piloting styles, so they are well suited for stunt flying;
thanks to the lighter design, they have more battery life.
In general, tricopters are gradually losing popularity, because their design with three main rotors does not provide adequate stability. This creates difficulties, particularly during racing or aerial photography. In addition, controlling tricopters requires more experience, as they are less intuitive, which reduces the comfort and pleasure of piloting.
Quadcopters are the most common type of drone that is commonly associated with these devices. They are equipped with four main propellers and are characterized by extreme controllability, ease of use and versatility, which made them the most popular models among all manufacturers.
The use of quadcopters covers a wide variety of areas, including:
photo and video recording;
racing and performing stunts;
GPS navigation;
game goals
In addition, quadcopters are actively used in emergency and rescue operations, journalism, medicine and agriculture, demonstrating their effectiveness in everyday tasks.
Hexacopters and octocopters are drones equipped with six and eight main rotors, respectively. The number of rotors directly affects the stability of the flight and the carrying capacity of drones, making them more suitable for transporting heavy loads and professional photography or videography.
Due to the high cost, hexacopters and octocopters are less common on the market than quadcopters. The price of such devices starts at about 1,000 US dollars, although you can find budget models at a price of about 200 dollars. However, the main focus of the consumer market is still on quadcopters.
Fixed-wing drones are second in popularity to propeller-driven drones. Their aircraft-like design includes fixed wings and a propeller that provides propulsion.
Thanks to these features, these drones are able to stay in the air for a long time with minimal energy consumption, which makes them indispensable for military surveillance and other tasks that require a long stay in the air.
Controlling fixed-wing drones is significantly different from control of quadcopters, as is the take-off process, which requires separate skills and approaches.
Fixed-wing drones are most commonly used in the military, particularly for surveillance and monitoring. However, there are also household models available on the market, such as the Parrot Disco FPV, which cost between $50 and $300.
Hybrid drones combine the functionality of quadcopters and fixed-wing drones. Thanks to their wings, they can glide through the air for a long time, which saves energy. However, their key advantage is the ability to take off vertically. This allows them to take off in a limited space, after which they transition to horizontal flight thanks to the special design of the propellers.
Such drones are ideal for performing tasks in difficult environments, where both flight efficiency and mobility are important.
Premium versions of these drones cost more than $100,000, although there are cheaper options.
Mid-size drones weigh between 1kg and 600kg and are very popular in the consumer market, as are the above sizes. Some of them may require several people to move.
Technically, they fall under Class 2 tactical military drones (150-600 kg), which are used for medium-range surveillance.
Large drones weigh over 600 kg and are comparable in size to an airplane. They are used by the military for surveillance and warfare.
Payload is a key parameter of a drone that determines how much weight it can carry. According to this characteristic, drones are divided into four categories:
Semi-light load: Typical of nano-drones, which can weigh as little as 11g. They can carry from 4 to 100 g. Such devices are most often used for simple tasks and training.
Light load: Inherent in micro and small drones weighing from 200 to 1000 g. Their carrying capacity varies from 150 to 270 g. For example, the DJI Mini 2 weighs 249g and can carry a payload of 283g.
Average load: Typical for medium-sized drones. Consumer and commercial drones in this category carry loads from 400 to 1,460 g, while military models can carry up to 150 kg.
Heavy load: Inherent in large drones that can carry cargo weighing more than 550 kg. They are used for specialized tasks such as logistics or military operations.
The drone’s range determines the maximum distance it can fly from the controller while maintaining communication.
Important: A special license is required for long-distance flights. Range classes for unmanned aerial vehicles:
Battery powered drones are the most common, especially among consumer models. They usually use lithium-polymer, nickel-metal hydride or nickel-cadmium batteries. The main advantage of such drones is portability and ease of use, but their flight time is limited due to the rapid discharge of the battery due to the load.
Large drones usually run on gasoline, which allows them to stay in the air as long as there is an opportunity to refuel. This approach is ideal for missions that require long flight or high power.
Drones using solar energy are a separate category. These are mostly models with a fixed wing on which solar panels are installed. They are able to provide long-duration flight with access to sunlight, which makes them promising for ecological and long-duration missions.
Last year, scientists from Japan and Singapore presented an innovative system for remote control of cyborg cockroaches. This system includes a miniature wireless module that is powered by an organic solar cell. To ensure the operation of devices on the body of insects, a special backpack with ultra-thin solar modules and a mount that does not restrict movements was created. A leg control module and a lithium-polymer battery were placed on the cockroach’s chest.
The backpack, printed on a 3D printer from an elastic polymer, adapts to the shape of the insect’s body and allows it to be used for a month or more. The back-mounted solar cell is only 0.004 mm thick, but delivers 17.2 mW of power.
In another area of biotechnology, researchers at the University of Würzburg have developed picodrones, the world’s smallest flying devices weighing about 2 picograms and measuring up to 2 microns. These microdrones move under the influence of light thanks to plasmonic nanoantennas made of gold nanorods. Light radiation with the right wavelength and polarization creates traction by directional scattering.
Picodrons, which are about a third the size of a red blood cell, are expected to be useful in scientific experiments. They can be used to manipulate micro-objects, deliver micro-tools or other payloads.
They help on construction sites.
Georeferencing systems like the mdMapper1000 DG provide high-precision mapping of linear infrastructure features such as roads, canals and pipelines. Microdrones allow you to effectively monitor the performance of work, control the amount of resources and stocks, as well as create reviews of projects in real time, which contributes to increased safety, improved planning and optimized collaboration. This approach helps construction companies reduce waste of materials and labor.
The methods of detecting dangerous gaseous substances, in particular methane, have significantly improved in recent years. The mdTector1000 CH4 system from Microdrones is equipped with an unmanned drone and a Pergam gas sensor, providing safe, reliable and cost-effective methane detection. The equipment is controlled via a tablet PC, and the software allows for mission planning, flight execution and visualization of methane emissions both in real time and after the flight is complete.
Here, too, there is a direct linking of aerial photographs to their position on Earth and their most accurate composition. As a result, the time required by surveyors for mapping projects is significantly reduced.
They monitor agriculture.
A study of mole activity was recently conducted in France using a Microdrones UAV equipped with various data acquisition payloads (camera, multispectral, thermal and LiDAR).
Solar fields are mapped.
Using a Microdrones md4-1000 drone equipped with optical and infrared sensors, the Institute for Solar Research of the German Aerospace Center conducted the first flight over a solar power plant in 2014. Today, such flights are performed with a frequency of 50 to 100 times a year.
Contaminated, dangerous or hard-to-reach buildings are inspected.
Drones have repeatedly demonstrated their effectiveness in mapping hard-to-reach structures, such as dams in Canada, where structural analysis was required. Thanks to several hours of flights and subsequent data processing, it was possible to obtain a cartographic product in the form of a point cloud, which became the ideal solution for this task.
Roads are mapped.
Road mapping is widely used by utilities and transportation companies to assess areas where new infrastructure, such as power lines or railroad tracks, is planned to be built. As global energy demand grows, there is a need for fast and accurate methods for analyzing old infrastructure and planning new facilities. Using road mapping allows you to perform these tasks much faster and with less resource consumption compared to traditional surveying methods.
They help predict avalanches.
Microdrones drones with the mdMapper complex, equipped with a lidar, were used in a Quebec national park to quickly and accurately measure the depth of the snow cover. This has helped significantly improve avalanche risk prediction.
They help the rescuers.
The four companies conducted joint field tests in Horneburg near Hamburg on the banks of the Elbe River. The trial demonstrated how a specially equipped MicroDrones MD4-1000 drone could save a child. Since the flight took place outside the operator’s line of sight, the drone was equipped with a thermal imaging camera and a specially designed cellular radio communication module to ensure effective communication.
The popularity of drones is a fickle thing. New models are constantly appearing that try to compete with established brands. It would be boring to talk about DJI drones again, so let’s look at microdrones from other manufacturers.
The quality of the footage, although not HD, is still significantly better compared to other drones of this size. Although it lacks GPS, the flight time is limited to 8 minutes, and the range is 100 meters, the Eachine is still an excellent choice for both indoor and outdoor use.
The drone is equipped with gyroscopic stabilization and an altitude hold function, which makes it easy to control.
This compact folding drone (11×11×3 cm) with a camera costs about UAH 1,000, so you should not be too demanding about its characteristics.
Makerfire Micro FPV is a great micro drone for beginners that comes with a great package: 5.8GHz goggles, powerful transmitter and propeller protection. The latter element provides safety in collisions with obstacles, including walls and even pets.
This drone allows you to start FPV flights with three modes that adapt to different levels of user experience, allowing you to adjust the speed according to the skill of the pilot.
Although the flight time is limited to 5 minutes, and the range is 70 meters, the drone provides incredible emotions and a feeling of complete immersion.
This beginner drone is perfect for flying both indoors and in the park. However, it is important to avoid flying into strong winds as they may be too strong for the drone to control.
The kit comes with two or three batteries, and there is also a version with a built-in camera.
The drone is equipped with an altitude hold function, an autopilot and the ability to take off with one button. The flight time is 6 minutes, and the range is 60 meters.
The Snaptain drone is a great choice for keeping an eye on your cats while keeping them safe with a protective grid that protects their paws from spinning propellers. Its flight time is 6 minutes, and the range is 60 meters.
This drone is perfect for kids or beginners, but it also makes a great toy for your cats.
The drone is capable of somersaults and has three speed modes, allowing you to not only perform stunts, but also move slowly when needed.
The kit includes three batteries that allow the drone to fly for almost 20 minutes.
The Cheerson CX10 is one of the first production smallest quadcopters available for purchase. In terms of size, it is more of a nanodrone than a microdrone, but it flies well and is very durable. However, it is worth noting that this drone is not equipped with an altitude hold function, which makes it difficult to stay in the air stably, but provides an opportunity to improve piloting skills.
The flight time is 6 minutes, and the range is 60 meters.
Despite their small size and limited payload, microdrones can perform many useful tasks. Therefore, choosing such a drone is no less difficult than choosing a larger analogue.
Here’s what you should pay attention to when choosing a miniature drone:
Durability is an important aspect, as micro-drones are usually used indoors and, due to the lack of GPS, often fall. For beginners, this factor becomes even more important, because the ability to properly control a drone comes with practice.
Propeller Protection – This component protects the propellers, making the drone more durable and safer for you and others. They allow the drone to collide with objects without destroying it and continue flying. Without them, the drone could simply fall on the first collision.
Flight time is an important parameter, albeit a simple one. Most micro drones cannot fly for more than 10 minutes, so the presence of additional batteries becomes necessary to continue flying.
Flight Modes for Beginners – Features like altitude hold, multiple speed modes and autopilot can make the drone more stable in the air, making it much easier to control, especially for beginners.
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