Introduction to Drones and
UAV Terminology
This presentation will introduce you to the exciting world of drones, also known
as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). We'll cover essential terminology, common
types, key components, and fundamental flight concepts to help you navigate
this rapidly evolving technology.
Common Types of Drones
Quadcopter Hexacopter Octocopter
The most popular consumer drone, Equipped with six rotors, offering Boasting eight rotors, ideal for carrying
featuring four rotors for agile flight. enhanced stability and redundancy. heavier payloads and professional
Ideal for beginners and hobbyists, they These drones provide greater lift applications. Their superior lifting
are widely used for aerial photography, capacity and can continue flying safely power and stability are perfect for
recreational flying, and FPV racing due even if one motor fails, making them cinema-grade cameras, mapping, and
to their ease of control and suitable for commercial photography heavy-duty industrial tasks where
affordability. and light industrial inspections. reliability is paramount.
Fixed-Wing Drone Single-Rotor Helicopter
Resembling traditional airplanes, these drones rely on wings for These drones mimic conventional helicopters with a main rotor
lift, allowing for long endurance and high speeds. They are and a tail rotor, offering superior lift capacity and
excellent for large-area mapping, surveillance, and agricultural maneuverability. Often used for specialized applications
surveying, covering vast distances efficiently. requiring precise flight and heavy lifting, such as cargo delivery
or large-scale inspections in challenging environments.
Drones range from toy drones for beginners to professional drones for cinema and surveying, and from small, portable devices to large,
complex unmanned aircraft systems. Each type serves a specific purpose, from capturing stunning aerial photography and thrilling FPV
racing to performing critical tasks like search and rescue, precision agriculture, and infrastructure inspection. The choice of drone often
depends on the specific mission, payload requirements, and environmental conditions.
Anatomy of a Drone: Key Components
Motors: Brushless electric outrunner motors drive the
propellers.
Propellers: Generate lift; include "tractor" (pull) and "pusher"
(push) types.
Flight Controller: The 'brain' that processes inputs and
stabilizes flight.
Electronic Speed Controllers (ESC): Regulate motor speed.
Battery: Typically Lithium Polymer (LiPo) for power.
GPS Module: Provides location data for navigation and
stability.
Gimbal & Camera: Stabilizes the camera for smooth footage.
Essential Flight Terminology
Yaw Pitch Roll
Rotation around the vertical axis Tilting the nose up or down along the Tilting left or right along the longitudinal
(clockwise or counterclockwise). lateral axis. axis.
Understanding these movements is crucial for precise drone control. Altitude Hold uses a barometric sensor to maintain a steady height,
while the Accelerometer measures forces for stable flight.
YouTube
Drone Flight Physics (in under 2 minutes): Yaw, Pitch & Roll (and control)
What are yaw, pitch, and roll? And how can we use them to make our drones fly
where we want? Learn about it here from Shane the drone guru at&
01:48
Control and Navigation Systems
Bind: The process of linking your controller to the drone's
receiver.
Autopilot & Autonomous Flight: Pre-programmed navigation
using GPS waypoints.
Flight Modes: Different modes like Acro (manual), Atti (altitude
hold), P (position hold), and S (sport) offer varied control levels.
Frequencies: Drones often use 2.4 GHz (longer range, slower
data) and 5.8 GHz (faster data, shorter range) for control and
video transmission.
Safety and Regulatory Terms
BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight): Operating a drone out
of the pilot's direct sight, generally restricted.
COA (Certificate of Authorization): Required for specific
commercial or public drone operations.
Geofencing: Virtual boundaries that prevent drones from
entering restricted airspace.
Collision Avoidance: Sensors that help drones detect and
avoid obstacles.
Air Traffic Control (ATC): Coordination with manned aircraft to
ensure airspace safety.
Physical Structure of Drone
Mechanical parts in drone
Drone system stack-up
1. Propeller: Angled blades attached to the revolving shaft of a motor. These blades give thrust and are why the drones can fly high.
2. Propeller motor: This is a DC motor attached to the four corners of the X-Frame. Power from the drone¾s electrical system rotates the
blades to provide thrust to the drone.
3. Enclosure top: A plastic or fiber mechanical enclosure of the drone protects the internal electrical and mechanical subsystems from the
external disturbances. Enclosures also provide the aesthetic look for the drone as a product.
4. X-frame: This is the vertebra of the drone. All of the other mechanical parts and subsystems of the drone are attached to the X-frame
through different types of fasteners or ties. The X-frame is symmetrical by dimensions and weight on all sides to achieve a balanced flight
of the drone. So the cross-sectional view is symmetrical on Y axis.
5. Enclosure bottom: A plastic or fiber mechanical enclosure of the drone protects the internal electrical and mechanical subsystems from
the external disturbances. Enclosures also provide the aesthetic look for the drone as a product.
6. Mylar: A form of polyester resin used to make heat-resistant plastic films and sheets. It acts as an insulation layer between the conductive
layer of the PCBA and the metallic X-frame.
7. MB (motherboard): The PCBA of the system hosts all of the electrical parts of the system soldered on to it. By modifying the PCBA shape,
the same layer can accommodate the battery on the sides of the PCBA.
8. CPU: Usually an SOC, it¾s the processing unit of the system. All other devices soldered on the PCBA are on the same layer adjacent to the
CPU.
9. Shielding and TIM: Digital and RF devices usually need shielding to protect from external disturbances or to protect the external devices
through radiation. Radiation from the external world is suppressed by connecting the shield to a system ground. The TIM, thermal
interface materials such as graphite, is pasted as a thin layer on the shield to radiate the excess heat generated from the components of
the system.
10. Heat spreader: The heat exchanger that moves heat between a heat source and a secondary heat exchange, whose surface area and
geometry are more favorable than the source.
11. Air gap: Provided wherever necessary in a system. This air gap acts an insulator and also accommodates material expansion and
contraction due to unavoidable reasons in a system.
12. Camera module: The lower-most part of the drone in this application is the camera module. Attached on the bottom to get a better field
of view (FOV) when drone fly high. Most camera modules accommodate ISPs and connect to the SOC through the USB 3.1 interface. If the
SOC has integrated ISPs, then the camera sensor can directly connect to the SOC with camera-specific interfaces.
13. DB (daughterboard): If all of the ingredients can¾t be accommodated in the single PCBA, then there can be several daughterboards on the
system to accommodate additional ingredients. Motherboards and daughterboards can be connected through board-to-board
interconnections or a flex PCB interconnect.
Classification of UAV
Unmanned Aircraft for Civilian and Military
Civilian UAS
Civilian unmanned systems are mainly used for:
Aerial survey, mapping, agriculture, environmental monitoring, delivery, inspection.
Emphasis is on sensing payloads, data acquisition, safety features, autopilot robustness, and airspace integration.
Typical theory covers aerodynamics, control systems (PID, nonlinear), navigation (GPS + IMU), sense-and-avoid methods, and regulatory
frameworks.
Military UAS
Military UAS expand on civilian systems with:
Long-range, high-altitude operations; stealth; armed payloads; swarming; real-time ISR and targeting.
Human operators in GCS4pilot (Air Vehicle Operator) + sensor or payload operator (Mission Payload Operator)4along with image
analysts or commanders.
Advanced autonomy: loyal wingman concepts (e.g. Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat), autonomous combat drones, AI-assisted flights and
decision-making.
Counter-UAS (C-UAS): jamming, electronic warfare, recognition/identification protocols, air defense integration.
Classification by size and range (e.g. DoD taxonomy: Group/135), vehicles such as RQ-7 Shadow, X-47B UCAV.
