Technology Advances: Machines are the Root Source - Essay Sample

Introduction

Technology has seen significant improvement in recent years. The main aim of technology is to social work more comfortable and more efficient. The invention of computers, for instance, has led to many other different innovations in technology. From these technological advancements, it is evident that machines are the root source. The ability of humans to program using computers has led to many new trends in technology. Some of the trends that the world is adopting in technology currently include 3D printing, Internet of Things (IoT), Quantum Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Drones, among others. This report aims to examine the use of Drones as an emerging technology and how the world is adopting this new technology exclusively.

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The paper will give a brief history of drones, then look at the advancements of the technology to date. The choice of this study is a motivation of wanting to have profound research on drone technology, its invention, Development, and achievements it has accomplished. Also, to look at its impact on the world.

Drones

Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were used for surveillance, collecting information, monitoring enemies, and attacking terrorist hideouts by the military in the last decade. Away from military operations, drones have shown promising applications in firefighting and policing power lines and pipelines inspection (Walker et al., 2012). Drones also have commercial applications such as logistics, agriculture, and delivery of medication to emergency areas, etc. This technological trend targets to improve the supply chain and logistics landscape.

History of Drones (UAVs)

In the mid-1800s, Venice was attacked by Austria using bomb-filled balloons. Although Austria did not use drones, this act marked a massive step in drone technology. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) of the United States later adopted the crewless aircraft system (UAS) as a term in place of Drones or UAVs. From then, the British Civil Aviation Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organization also adopted the name.

It was until the 1900s when the innovation of drones started. During WW1, Dayton Wright Airplane Company developed a pilot free aerial craft that dropped and exploded sequentially at preset times. In 1916, Bayliss made the earliest attempt towards a powered UAV using an aerial target. Reginald Denny, an airplane enthusiast and a film star, engineered a remote-controlled aerial vehicle in 1935.

In World War II, aircraft gunners got trained using UAVs. Also, drones got employed in the flying of attack missions. Since World War II, military personnel has used Pilotless Target Aircrafts (PTA) to target practice.

UAVs in the Vietnam War flew in preset circles or straight lines capturing videos, and they landed after running out of fuel. Later, an improvement got made to the UAVs, where computerized automation and remote control got combined. This combination led to even more stable and simple functions that were scripted for navigation, for example, the waypoint following.

UAV Classification

Drones have shown high positive significance in both the commercial and military fields. There are six categories of drones based on their application.

Reconnaissance- these types of UAVs provide intelligence on battlefields.

Combat UAVs- drones used in high-risk missions to provide attack capability by military personnel.

Target and Decoy- they provide a goal to aerial and ground gunnery by simulating missiles and aircraft from an enemy.

Research and Development- in this field, UAVs develop better drone technologies that get integrated into UAV systems deployed in the area.

Logistics- in this category, the UAVs design is to transport payloads, logistic operations, and cargo.

Commercial and Civil UAVs- specially developed for industrial and civil applications and include software and cameras.

Drone Technology Adoption

People embrace new technology in different ways. Rogers (1962) identified some attractive personality traits that help to categorize the way people adopt a new invention. Rogers used the term "diffusion" to refer to the rate at which innovation gets taken on a social system. Diffusion is the process of communicating a change using specific channels among members of a social network over some time. In this context, communication is unique in that it deals with new philosophies. Communication is a process in which involved parties create and share information to reach a mutual understanding. Through dialogue, clients can get persuaded to adopt an innovation.

Adopter Categories

Adopter categories refer to groupings of associates of a social scheme depending on the level of innovation. Rogers proposed five adopter categories, which include Innovators, Early adopters, early majority, late majority, and the Laggards.

Innovators represent those members who aggressively pursue evidence about fresh ideas. They have an extensive media connection and secure interpersonal networks that go beyond their local system. The main characteristic of innovators is that they can manage high uncertainty levels concerning an innovation compared to other adopter categories.

The early adopters, on the other hand, are opinion leaders and enthusiasts. The old majority are pragmatists, i.e., they act practically or in a straightforward manner. The early majority are always willing to ignore other peoples' ideas to accomplish their set goals.

Then the late majority and the laggards represent the conservatives. This group of individuals is skeptical about innovation. Laggards consider maintaining the status quo and always are doubtful about any new invention.

Adopter Selection

At the innovators level, the adoption of drone technology seems suitable. Being creative and able to solve problems are the key driving factors in the innovators' level.

Drone Technology Analysis

Every few months, significant investments are bringing more advanced drones due to the constant technological growth of this innovation. The UAVs or the crewless aerial vehicle technology is extensive, covering everything starting from drone aerodynamics, manufacturing materials of the UAVs, circuit boards, software, and chipset, which all constitute the drones' brain. One popular drone was the DJI Phantom 3. Professional aerial cinematographers mostly used this type of drone. Although the DJI Phantom 3 is slightly old, it also uses the latest drone technology. What makes this type of drone more appropriate in explaining the drone technology is that it contains everything in one package (Singh, 2013). Some of its features include the UAV, camera, and gimbal, and the top drone technology present in the market today is available in the drone.

However, other new and more advanced drones such as the DJI Mavic Mini, Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic Air, Inspire 2, and Walkera Voyager 5 are present in the market.

How Drones Work

From its manufacture, light composite materials get used to making these crewless aircraft to escalate navigation and moderate mass. The amalgamated material is durable to help soldierly drones cruise at exceedingly great heights. Drones use varying expertise such as infrared cameras, laser (commercial, consumer, and military UAVs), and GPS. Ground cockpits or the remote ground control systems (GSC) control the drones. The crewless aerial vehicles have two parts; the regulator structure and the UAV itself. At the nose, all direction-finding systems and radars reside. Since there is no space for humans, the other part of the drone contains drone machinery structures. Materials used for drone construction are composites that are vastly intricate designed to engross vibrations, thus reducing the produced noise. These building tools are very light in weight. An essential feature equipped in the drones is the collision evasion system. These systems use hindrance recognition sensors to scan the environment. SLAM technology and software algorithms yield images into maps in 3D, thus allowing the drone to sense and avoid.

The critical question is, "At what point is market disruption considered a good thing?" This query also calls for a crucial argument. One might argue that, if the disruption creates new opportunities surpassing traditional markets, easies peoples' processes, and provides current solutions, then the separation is excellent. To most people, UAVs or drones are ultimate in disruptive technology. They perform duties such as the delivery of medical supplies to disaster areas, improving crop maintenance, etc.

Advantages of Drones

The following are the critical importance of UAVs:

Quality aerial imaging- drones are efficient in taking aerial videos and photographs and collecting vast amounts of data. These images create 3D maps and models that are very beneficial. By 3D mapping of disaster areas helps rescue teams to prepare before kicking off the rescue mission.

Precision- since UAVs use Global Positioning System (GPS), programming and maneuvering them to precise locations is possible. For example, in agriculture, UAVs help in the spraying of insecticides and fertilizers, weed infestation identification, and crop health monitoring. This precision helps farmers to save cost and time.

Easily deployable- with technological advancement, drone operation uses very minimal experience. Most drone models are relatively cheap hence making many operators access them. Drones also have a more extensive range of movement compared to crewed aircraft.

Security- given appropriate licensing, operators can use UAVs to provide surveillance and security to public gatherings, companies, sporting events, and many others. Drones can also gather valuable statistics, such as during disasters that help in salvage and refuge exertions.

Disadvantages of Drones

Legislative uncertainty- the problem arises in determining airspace property rights. Landowners need protection from aerial trespassing. There is also conflict between the federal regulations and the local and state laws.

Safety- to avoid aerial collisions, drones use "sense and avoid" technology. But in case of system failure, the drone can crash and cause significant damage, especially in the presence of huge crowds.

Privacy- drones are capable of collecting data without drawing any human attention. This lack of awareness implies that they can cause a human rights violation-the right to privacy.

Drone Technology on the S-curve

The graph below represents the development pattern of UAVs on the S-curve. The drone technological breakthrough started to take place in the years of the Cold War. This Development was after the fall of the CIA's aircraft (1960). This improvement continued during the Kosovo War. During this war, NATO deployed UAV's instead of crewed aircraft to strike, as illustrated in the graph (Point 2) (Kindervater, 2016). In Afghanistan and Iraq is where the drone technology got first established. The US army used armed drones to kill several Al-Qaeda militants (Point 3). As shown in the graph, there is a promising trend in the diffusion of drone technology. Some of the factors that have led to this growth include huge budgetary allocation making this technological trajectory reach its frontier.

Due to the fast growth of the UAV technology, the following job functions are suitable for technology management.

Computer skills- such as Artificial Intelligence and programming skills are vital in drone technology management.

Manufacturing skills and engineering. Individuals who can update to the recent technological advancements.

Conclusion

The paper has discussed drone technology from its history to current advancements. Although the study has not exhausted all the details concerning the tech...