Technology was coined from the Greek word technologia, which refers to a “skill” or an “art”. It simply refers to the utilization and cognition of techniques, tools or methods of organization. It could also mean the in-depth analysis of a concept or the proper knowledge of a field or subject area. The use of the word is relative, and can be applied to as many areas as possible. Mobile technology, car technology, medical technology, space technology and a host of other terms have been coined from the word. This is because the application of the word is limitless in the present world.
The impact of all the different technologies on humans is very significant. Technology started with the transformation of natural resources into elementary hand tools. Fire, for instance, played a great role in the advancement of prehistoric technology. Its discovery and control was the beginning of the many and has escalated to inexplicable heights like the internet today. It is pertinent to note that not all advancements in the field have fostered peace and made life easier. Nuclear weapons and their likes are of course, utterly destructive.

All the great economies in the world today depend on technology. It is safe to assume that they would not get this far but for technological advancements. There is also the issue of pollution and the depletion of natural resources as a result of processes that utilize technology. This reduces the quality of the earth and the value of the environment in general. Interestingly, recent studies have discovered that other primates carry out activities that point to an understanding of basic technology.

Lots of debates have arisen over the years and they have centered on the impact of technology on the society. Some movements totally condemn the concept with overwhelming evidence and conviction. Different scholars and philosophers read different meanings into it and extend its definition to cover a broad range of usage. This has made science, technology and engineering overlap in their meanings and applications. The history of technology also makes for interesting reading as it dates back to 10,000 BC. It has evolved from the usage of basic tools to the development of all the crucial sectors in the life of man. Medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, communication and education, to mention a few, have benefited immensely from this mind-boggling concept.

The view on technology cannot be uniform. It always differs from scholar to scholar and from individual to individual. Where uniformity lies however, is in the fact that technology has come down a long, winding way, and that it is here to stay.

Many people know drones as sophisticated weapons to be used only in war zones. But this is not the case anymore. The use of drones from military purposes has expanded. Drones are now extensively used for commercial as well as personal purposes. Some drone users have taken it to the next level. These fun loving drone users use their drones to race each other. They have made it a matter of pride and a way to check who owns the better drone. This has resulted in the arrangement of dedicated tournaments related to drones with high prize money. Usually drones are equipped with 4 motors and usually of the configuration of “X” or “+”, but in this particular case, the configuration which is being implemented is of the form of alphabet “H” so as to accomplish forward movement not the upward thrust as in the case of delivery or photography drones.

The main aim of this type of racing is to provide high speed to the drone and use the speed and maneuvering skills to outpace the other drones. In future, it is predicted that drone racing would very much be as popular as formula racing. Big companies will be vying to sponsor such events. In general, FPV or first person view is preferred that means the participant whose drone is racing will be able to see only what the drone’s front camera can see. To achieve this, the camera is placed on the nose of the drone or on its front and is used to transmit high radio wave signals to the participant and hence further commands are being supplied by the user. This way drone racing becomes a very exciting race including the mental co-ordination of participant along with high end skills used in making the drone.

The first person view (FPV) lets the viewer experience flying with great speed and maneuverability, passing the hurdles in between. It increases the level of difficulty to a much higher level as compared to the normally used third person view.

Although this racing was first invented in Australia now it is getting popular in other countries too where people are getting familiar with this prestigious technology. The selection of drone material and the motor is as such to meet the requirement of high speed and to overcome crashes which are quite inevitable during the race. There are many organizations which organize these kinds of events such as DRL (Drone Racing League), U.S. National Drone Racing Championship and many others. These organizations provide their own drone materials in order to level the playing field and verify the skills of pilots across a large number of participants. Drone racing provides excitement not only through pure speed and agility, but also though the robustness in the design of these drones. Nowadays it is quite common to use the materials having high strength to weight ratio for making drones lightweight. This technology can be very expensive. Even though this kind of racing has thrilled many, connectivity and data transfer rates for FPV video provides a hindrance behind the success of this sport.

The main motive of participants, aside from the love of the sport is the high amount of cash prizes at some of these events. Following is further insight in the world of drone racing and prize money.

World Drone Prix:

Just last week, a 15 years old was able to take $250,000 home after winning the World Drone Prix in Dubai. This was first of a kind tournament in Dubai. The total prize money of the tournament was 1 million dollars with the winner getting 25% of the total prize money. The participants raced by wearing goggles. Those goggles were connected to the camera which was mounted on the drone of each racer. The kid beat one hundred and fifty amateurs and professionals to win the title. About two thousand spectators converged to watch the spectacular tournament on Sunday afternoon. The race was organized by the crown prince of Dubai. He is also the head of the city’s Sports Council. This was the first ever race and Dubai plans to make it an annual event just like the Formula 1 race.

Drone Nationals:

In the US, about a year ago, the Drone Nationals were held, which was the first ever national drone racing event in the US. The winner in that tournament was able to bag $25,000. The organizer of this event is planning to hold a world competition in Hawaii this October.

Drone Racing League:

Even startups have understood the potential of drone racing. A venture backed startup known as Drone Racing League held its first league tournament in the football stadium of Miami dolphins. The next one will most probably be held in Los Angeles. The top ten racers in DRL are as follows:

Zoomas:

Zoomas hails from New York and got interested in drone flying in 2012 after watching YouTube videos. He has 15 points.

Moke:

Moke, a freestyle pilot, has been racing for the past 1 year or so. He is second with 10 points.

Flying Bear:

Flying Bear, with 6 points, is third ranked. He is a Mechanical Product Design Engineer.

Rekrek:

Rekrek is ranked fourth and has experience of flying drones all over the globe. He hails from Australia.

Furadi:

Furadi’s interested initially started from radio controlled helicopters. He transitioned to drones in 2014 and has not looked back since.

Hazak:

He comes from Boise, Idaho. He is a mobile tech specialist as far as his job is concerned. And his passion is drones.

FPVProvo:

He is known to be a fierce competitor.

Rafa:

He is the only Brazilian among the top ten. He has been flying drones for the past three years.

Bapu:

Bapu is from the state of California and he also transitioned to drones after starting with fixed wing airplane flying.

Nine:

Nine also hails from the state of California and is currently ranked tenth.

So, we can see from the above three examples that drone racing is about to become the next big thing among racing sports. World Drone Prix is initiated by the cash rich UAE so it would have no problem of making it big. Seeing the possible success will cause many businesses and companies to sponsor events such as Drone Nationals and Drone Racing League. This will lead to the initialization of more drone tournaments and one day drone tournaments may become as popular as NFL or the English Premier League.

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UAVLance is the first website to enable organizers to setup and manage races, create stunning web pages, invite racers and sponsors to register, and automate payouts. Competitions for all skill levels.

Drones have definitely changed the way we have fun and do business. They are now used in our everyday lives to collect aerial data for manipulation and take beautiful photos and record amazing videos to upload to YouTube. In fact, lots of people are making a living using their powerful unmanned aerial vehicles or quadcopters that comes with advanced features. These newest machines are now able to communicate with a smartphone or any other hand-held device using a mobile app to transfer data in real time for streaming or other use. Companies like Amazon are building feasibility on whether to deliver packages via remotely controlled devices in future to increase business, save time and ensure timely delivery.

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has given clearance to a number of companies to use drones or unmanned aerial vehicles in order to carry out many of their business activities. They are allowed to collect data, conduct surveillance for security reasons, film or capture images, or inspect areas for finding oil and gas.

Making Money with Drone Videos

Videos made with the help of a drone can be extraordinary compared to the usual ground level footage. Search on YouTube and you will find thousands of high quality videos uploaded there by ordinary people who implemented a simple idea using a drone or quadcopter making it visit places where a human being cannot even think of going. Examples include live volcanic videos, amazing surfing videos, and a close-up inside view of beautiful fireworks.

Some entrepreneurs are making huge profits with the help of their drone videos. Since these drones are available on the market for as low as $100 a lot of people are taking interest in exploring ways to earn money. First you need to build a YouTube channel and apply marketing strategies to monetize it. The most common and easiest way to do this is place in-video ads by registering with YouTube advertising program.

Before you start making money with a drone, you first need to purchase a machine that suits your requirements and allows you to make high quality videos. For this you will have to keep in mind a camera with an ability to shoot high resolution videos. In addition to this, you also need good video editing software to edit your videos and present something to people that they would enjoy tremendously.

Examples of Drone Uses in Business

Here are some common examples of drone use to conduct business or earn profit:

· Real estate photography – if you are in the real estate business you could boost your sales using high resolution aerial imagery of the properties you are targeting.

· Wireless internet – Drones are able to provide internet connectivity to remote areas where signals don’t reach from Wi-Fi hotspots. Companies providing wireless internet can benefit from this opportunity to increase their clientele and make more sales.

· Journalism and reporting – The best use of inexpensive UAVs has been seen in the news industry where reporters can make use of a drone to capture amazing footages especially in times of disasters like suicide explosions, earthquakes and hurricanes.

· Commercial photography – Photographers who are already in business can invest in a powerful drone to take their photography to the next level and leave behind their competitors with excellent and breathtaking aerial photos.

· Public service – Governments may employ powerful drones for conducting highway surveillance and report back to concerned authorities in case of an accident, mishap or any other incident. Similarly, drones can be used to survey wildlife and to count almost extinct species in order to save them.

· Agriculture – In the past, farmers and other people associated with agriculture were not known to use the latest technology to carry out their operations. However, now they have a golden chance to invest in their business by employing powerful drones to monitor the growth of their crops.

If you want to introduce drone technology to your already-running business, you’re going to need around $1,000 to get started. However, if you invest in the latest technology you are going to be more successful in your activities. People are ready to invest up to $100,000 in drones to take their business to the next level. With the passage of time and with improved technology, you would be able to integrate more powerful components and continuously grow your business.

Hurdles in the Way of Drone Technology

While all the above-mentioned prospects look promising, there are still some hurdles that need to be addressed before taking full advantage of this technology. First of all, if a company wants to deliver packages using a drone there will be a limit on weight of the parcel. Moreover, depending on the battery life a drone wouldn’t be able to fly for more than 20 to 30 minutes. So, parcels meant for addresses that are farther than this radius wouldn’t get delivered… without some system of transfer utilizing multiple drones or exchanging batteries mid route.

Moreover, if a drone is getting to its destination all alone it might encounter a power line on its way or come across a stray dog or cat. Children playing on the way can also interfere with its operation and hence pose security risk as well as risk of a damaged delivery. These types of losses would be quite common if drones were used today for parcel delivery. However, if steps are taken to minimize these risks and if stronger and more powerful machines with improved battery life could be made available to general public as well as large retailers, these hurdles can be overcome.

For some business ventures, there might be a few technology obstacles to get rid of before there could be a complete automated drone control, but some projects are already running quite successfully. Since the FAA announced a new set of rules and regulations regarding the use of unmanned aircraft for commercial use, a good number of businesses ordered custom-made drones for use in their business activities in order to increase sales, conduct inspection and mapping, and deliver products or machines at a good speed.

UAVLANCE.com, the one stop shop for all your UAV needs.

LOOKING FOR A DRONE PILOT?

Simply create a job and watch as the top pilots in the country bid for your work. And payments are held in escrow, so pilots get paid on time, and you don’t release payment until you’re 100% satisfied!

There is no job too big or complex. There are pilots on UAVLance qualified for EVERY aerial need.

Find a UAV Pilot Now!

NEED TO RENT A DRONE FOR BUSINESS OR FOR FUN?

At UAVLance.com, Drone Rentals companies across the country compete for your business. Find the lowest rate on that perfect drone you’ve always wanted to fly. Want to earn extra money? Setup an account and rent your drone today! It’s that simple.

Rent a Drone Today!

INTERESTED IN DRONE RACING?

UAVLance is the first website to enable organizers to setup and manage races, create stunning web pages, invite racers and sponsors to register, and automate payouts. Competitions for all skill levels.

Every new day brings with it a new prospect where drones can be used successfully. One area where drones have started to become commonplace is the manufacturing industry. When you talk about use of drones in manufacturing, do not confuse this with the manufacturing of drones. While it’s true that the idea of drones in the manufacturing process hasn’t really taken flight as of yet, this is not to say that drones aren’t being used at all in the manufacturing industry. Drones have proven particularly useful in the field of food manufacturing, with Japan at the forefront for using this technology. In Japan, drones are being used in the agricultural fields to spray insecticides and to monitor for weeds.

The drones that are being used in the agricultural fields in Japan are the Yamaha RMAX. More than 2400 models of the Yamaha RMAX are currently in use. You might find it astonishing but Japan has been using this technology in the agricultural industry for over 28 years with the first drone project taking place in 1987.

Transport drones are being used in warehouses in different industries to lift items and to keep stuff organized on the shelves. Drones are not only more reliable than humans in performing these tasks but are also faster and increase productivity.

Qimarox, a Netherlands based company that is involved in material handling has been studying the use of drones in arranging goods on the shelves and in taking them off the shelves. The use of drones in warehouses won’t just help with arranging goods in warehouses, but will also accommodate the assembling of these picked goods into pallet loads.

The main area of research regarding drones in the manufacturing industry is collision avoidance technology in enclosed spaces. Drones that are flown outdoors need to be in the line of sight and can be landed in case of any emergency. However, in the manufacturing industry there is not a lot of space and the device needs to be programmed in such a manner that it does not collide with different objects in its path.

The main concern regarding drones and their use in the manufacturing industry is that of safety. The FAA is in its infancy in regulating drones in the commercial sector, although testing is progressing gradually and the rules are slowly starting to take shape.

For now, drones in the manufacturing industry are being developed to pick, arrange and load stuff in the warehouses. This may appear simple but it is a complex task in itself seeing that it’s an unmanned vehicle executing all of these tasks.

To summarize, drones aren’t involved directly in the manufacturing process and only play an indirect role for now. However, with technology progressing rapidly and with research being conducted on these points as well, the day when drones will start aiding directly in manufacturing goods isn’t far away.