Planes Without Pilots
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
Remember being a kid and flying a remote-controlled airplane in the backyard and wishing you could see from the plane's viewpoint angle? Your imagination might have downgraded since then, but someone else has kept the dream alive! Thanks to technological developments in the realm of aerodynamics, there exists a series of aircrafts capable of flying without a pilot, serving as a method for achieving surveillance and reconnaissance. Used by the military as an intelligence technique, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles differ in size and design, and are ideal for scoping out a targeted area without potential risks of harm.
One publicly traded company specializing in developing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles is AeroVironment, Inc., the California-based corporation manufacturing various UAS models like the Raven, the Dragon Eye, and the Puma. What is fascinating, however, is that certain models created by AeroVironment, Inc. are guided by precise navigational systems, can fly with a remote control or autonomously, and provide enhanced colored imagery through their surveillance cameras. AeroVironment, Inc. executives also credit their success within their industry to past and current global war situations. As one authoritative source recalls, "The market for our small UAS has grown significantly over the last several years due to the U.S. militarys post-Cold War transformation, [and] the demands for global war on terrorism. Following the Cold War, the U.S. military began its transformation into a smaller, more agile force that fights through a network of observation, communication and precision targeting technologies."
Although their main focus is on the small unmanned aircraft systems, AeroVironment, Inc. is also environmentally conscious and uses clean energy technology in order to prevent intentional and additional pollution. They also accomplish this goal by using efficient electric motors and fuel cells in their Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
Aside from use by agencies of the United States Department of Defense, Unmanned Aerial Systems can also be utilized for surveillance and information in locations deemed too dangerous for human occupation. For example, firefighters may use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to check burning buildings for victims and survivors.
For more information regarding AeroVironment, Inc. and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, visit www.avinc.com