The days when drones were only for military use are now long gone and they have recently been approved for civilian use. Drones are now being used for everything from protecting the earth’s wildlife to helping real estate agents sell properties faster than ever before. With that being said, however, there are a few different drones on the market today, so you have to be able to determine which one is best suited for your needs. Read on below for a few tips on what separates one drone from the other.
Different Sizes
There are many different sizes of drones out there for commercial and civilian use. Drones can come in vast solar powered aircraft form or all the way down to the minute type devices, similar to hummingbird helicopters. Read on below for a couple of the different styles for your perusal.
Solar Eagle, Boeing
The cost of this massive drone is still unknown, but Boeing is determined that it is going to be a doozy. It has a 122m wingspan and is designed to store solar energy overnight, after it is harvested during the day. This, of course, will not be available for the common folk, but will hopefully make the environment a safer place to be, in the long run.
T-Hawk, Honeywell
The cost of the T-Hawk is in the range of $375,000 and not for everyday use of course. It only weighs 8kg and is used by the British. It can go up to 50mph and is just one of the many available for use today to the military.
Arducopter, 3D Robotics
This drone runs off an open platform and can be controlled by remote. You can also buy accessories for this drone in the way of cameras, flight control systems, the frame, or even a ready to fly kit with everything included and ready to go. This drone will set enthusiasts back about $600, give, or take a few bucks.
It weighs about 1kg and has speeds up to 40mph to recommend it.
Robobee, Harvard University
This is a tiny flying drone, cute in looks while big on power. It weighs in at 80mg and the cost to own one is yet unknown. Harvard plans to input swarm intelligence into the drones when they are completed, but no word on when that will be yet.
There are many more different sizes, styles, and purposes for drones on the market today. Some of them are really only for military and research purposes, but there are quite a few that will be released for public use in time. If you don’t know much about drones and their uses, there is plenty of information on the Internet to be had. Even with the constant debate over whether they should be legal for civilians to use, it seems that drones are evolving and very well may be here to stay. If you have never tried using a drone, be careful, do your research, and have a ball!