A drone is an unmanned aircraft. Drones are more formally known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems. Essentially, a drone is a flying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously using software-controlled flight plans in its embedded systems, that work in conjunction with onboard sensors and a global positioning system (GPS).UAVs were most often associated with the military. They were initially used for anti-aircraft target practice, intelligence gathering, and, more controversially, as weapons platforms. Drones are now also used in a range of civilian roles, including the following:
- search and rescue
- surveillance
- traffic monitoring
- weather monitoring
- firefighting
- personal use
- drone-based photography
- videography
- agriculture
- delivery services