"UAV" or "drone?"

[Ichinisan]

It bothers me that everyone calls UAVs "drones" now.

UAVs are simply remote control flying vehicles ("unmanned aerial vehicle"). We should reserve the term "drone" for something that flies for a long time in a programmed pattern without constant/active piloting.

Quadrocopters and such existed for a long time and people suddenly started calling them "drones" because it sounds more menacing. "Voyeuristic guy at beach ogles sunbathing women remotely by drone." No.

 

[lxskllr]

I agree, but it doesn't bother me much. I'm also more accepting of calling a large aircraft a drone if it's controlled extremely remotely(not some guy watching it with a handset).

 

[CZroe]

An ROV/UAV flown through a fireworks display for video from a different perspective? Not a drone. The CIA device flown over Iran which was tricked into landing there by feeding the thing bad GPS-like coordinates where the inboard computer thought it was piloting itself to a friendly air field? Drone.

 

[BUTCH1]

An ROV/UAV flown through a fireworks display for video from a different perspective? Not a drone. The CIA device flown over Iran which was tricked into landing there by feeding the thing bad GPS-like coordinates where the inboard computer thought it was piloting itself to a friendly air field? Drone.

Ouch, that must have been embarrassing for the CIA. As for the use of the word "drone" it has unfortunately become common nomenclature for anything that's flying without a person sitting in it, I think some manufacturers stuck the label on them to add to the "cool" factor when in fact all it is is just a small flying device that's controlled by someone close by. The thread I started yesterday was listed in the local paper and the API as a "drone" flying through the fireworks..

 

[Kaido]

Drone is the new Kleenex - everyone uses that term now.

 

[phucheneh]

Drone is the new Kleenex - everyone uses that term now.

technically incorrect term != genericized trademark

 

[Lonyo]

If it can fly itself, it's a drone.
The problem is that modern "high tech" quadrocopters can also fly themselves.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/06/flying-and-crashing-a-1300-quadcopter-drone/

Remote controlled planes and helicopters have been around for decades though, so yeah, not the same as drones.

 

[mpo]

technically incorrect term != genericized trademark

I'm on the technical advisory panel for a university project that is using UAVs to characterize various pieces of infrastructure. Basically, I let them mine a road condition database I maintain.

When writing the grants and results, the folks always use UAV or the technical equivalent, e.g., AAV--autonomous aerial vehicle.

When talking to the technical advisory group, it is a 50/50 split between UAV and drone.

When talking to the public, 90% of the time they call them drones.

Just don't call them model aircraft. Sounds like they are not serious and just having fun.

 

[CZroe]

Ouch, that must have been embarrassing for the CIA...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–U.S._RQ-170_incident

 

[marvdmartian]

Might be why the military stopped calling them by both of those names. Nowadays, they're referred to as RPA's (Remote Piloted Aircraft).

 

[Rakehellion]

It bothers me that everyone calls UAVs "drones" now.

Get over it, nerd.

 

[Jeff7]

UAV = three syllables
drone = one syllable


Until I can say "UAV" phonetically, like "wav," "drone" is going to win.

 

[Markbnj]

"UAV" if you're trying to sound like an ex military operative with field experience. "Drone" if you want to sound like one of the tin-foil hat black helicopter people. To sound like a geek, "quadcopter," "hexacopter," etc.

 

[Kaido]

Gizmodo has a discussion on this:

Should We Really Just Call Everything a "Drone" By Default?

 

[Kaido]

Also, they just added drone capabilities (autonomous flight) to the DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter:

http://gizmodo.com/the-dji-phantom-2-quadcopter-is-now-a-real-autonomous-d-1599334139

Still no advanced features like obstacle avoidance, but it's a start! (for a fairly reasonable price)

 

[Red Squirrel]

I may be wrong but this is how I see it:

Remote control: A remote controlled vehicle that is short range and you need linen of sight of it as you are controlling it based on visuals. no sensors or onboard cameras. Basically quad-copters and stuff.

UAV: Similar idea but it has onboard cameras and/or sensors so you can control it without looking at it.

Drone: UAV with longer range and possibly some smarts built in such as auto pilot or some AI.

 

[Kaido]

They just arrested a couple of guys who flew their drones near a helicopter:

http://nypost.com/2014/07/07/two-drones-in-near-miss-with-nypd-copter-over-gwb/

 

[sunzt]

I call them UAS (S = System) to account for the fact that it's the vehicle, pilot, communication channel, and (sometimes) satellites. Though i often call them drones now since it's easier.

 

[Jaepheth]

Drone is the new Kleenex - everyone uses that term now.

technically incorrect term != genericized trademark

More like how everyone says "clip" when referring to a magazine.