Throughout history, mankind has been on the continuous pursuit to evolve technology to be more powerful. When most people think of the history of drones, they assume that drones just recently were invented and not used throughout most battles that have taken place. Although the early models do not look anything like what we know today, drones have evolved to meet its purpose on several frontiers.
Early History
The first use of "drones" per se was not a remote control flying box with a camera attached to it, it instead was used for a more militaristic approach. In 1782 the Montgolfier brothers decided to see if they could fly a hot air balloon with nobody in its basket controlling it. With this success hot air balloons the approach moved to battle in 1848 when the Austrians attached bombs to multiple balloons also attached by ropes where they could drop the explosives from a distance. The picture above shows exactly how that was orchestrated. This method was used all the way through the 1800's as these flying contraptions were starting to expand its uses.
Advances in Technology
Once the Wright brothers invented the plane and Nikola Tesla demonstrated that machines can operate on radio waves, drones transitioned from being just bomb-dropping entities into a very useful tool for surveillance (UAV). America would even use kites with cameras attached to them for resistance during the Spanish-American war. But as time goes on and WWII approaches, unmanned planes started to carry bombs to be dropped on enemy fleets. These drones were sleek in design and especially hard to spot on radar. This made it extremely easier to surprise enemies without even having to leave your base. These methods carried over for a long time, using drones for battle has never stopped, but debate has ensued in whether or not it is an ethical use of technology where it basically dehumanizes the target below.
Drone Uses Today
In our world today, drones are still used by almost every military on the planet. They are also transitioning into the public realm as more recreational drones continue to hit the market. You can go to any tech store basically and find a drone that suits your needs, but not for combat or anything like that. Drones in stores today are small and compact with a camera mounted onto it for film purposes. This allows film makers to capture tight, moving shots without having to run around or rent a helicopter. Drones are also still used for surveillance as well. Along the American boarders drones fly continuously to ensure that no one is smuggling items or people illegally.
The impact that drones have had not only on our approach to war, but also our view of film making in general. The broad range of tasks that drones assist in our day to day lives is hart to comprehend, but the way we look into the future, drones must kept evolving into good and not turned against us.
Comments
Post a Comment