Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

What Does Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Mean?

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a type of aircraft that operates without a human pilot onboard. Recent technologies have allowed for the development of many different kinds of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles used for various purposes.

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An unmanned aerial vehicle is also known as a drone.

Techopedia Explains Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Over just a few decades, the unmanned aerial vehicle has gone from a science fiction concept to an everyday reality. Many of these applications were developed in the military, and the general public has seen UAVs evolve as spy or reconnaissance vehicles used during wartime. However, recently consumers have also seen the development of these types of aircraft for public markets.

Remote control airplanes and helicopters can also be classified as UAVs when they have particular kinds of performance and remote control capabilities. One example is the proposed use of flying robots, or UAVs, to deliver packages.

Although the technology has become relatively common, the unmanned aerial vehicle is often still associated with military objectives. The use of UAVs for surveillance is a controversial topic. Other lower-profile uses for unmanned aerial vehicles include firefighting and police use, as well as other kinds of domestic surveillance.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…