If you’re new to drones – or even if not – it can be daunting to read all the vocabulary in the industry and be expected to understand it all. That’s why we are here to help with this Guide to Drone Vocabulary! The purpose of this blog post is to make sure you understand what you’re reading and particularly understand specifications. If you see a word you don’t understand and we haven’t covered it for you, feel free to comment or send up a message and we can help you!
Accelerometer
A device that is used to sense and measure acceleration forces in 3 dimensions in order to assist mainly in stabilizing the drone; often these are built into flight computers
Auto-Leveling
Enables drones to travel in even flight automatically
Autonomous Flight
Flight where no human intervention is necessary for the system to complete the operation
BVLOS
Beyond Visual Line of Sight. Any flight where the operator cannot see the drone with unaided vision (binoculars, cameras, etc), including when the operator cannot tell which direction the drone is facing.
Coverage Area
The amount of area a drone can cover during a flight. For many drones, this changes based on payload configuration.
Cruise Speed
The speed the drone travels at during the cruise phase of flight.
Detect and Avoid
The capability to see, sense, or detect air traffic or other hazards and take action to prevent collision
Flight Time
Amount of time the drone will be in flight. When looking at drone specifications, this is generally a maximum time. When planning a mission, this is the time it will take to complete the mission.
GCS
Ground Control Station. The GCS is generally the interface an operator uses to control or issue commands to the drone.
Gimbal
An accessory for use with payload options to stabilize cameras and sensors in order to retrieve better data, or to allow for the payload to be pointed in different directions during the operation.
GSD
Ground Sampling Distance. GSD is the distance between pixels in an image measured on the object being examined (in most cases, the ground). A GSD of 1 inch, for instance, would be equivalent to each pixel in a photo being 1 inch across, or roughly the size of a Quarter. Better GSD generally allows for more accurate, higher quality data both pre- and post-processing. GSD is a function of both payload and altitude.
Gyroscope
A device that aids a drone in maintaining a reference direction during flight
Launch
The method in which the drone goes from the ground to flying
LiDAR
Light Detection and Ranging. LiDAR payloads use light (generally through the use of a pulsed laser) to measure distances to the earth. LiDAR payloads generally use an array of lasers pulsing very quickly to gather a large amount of data points. These data points are processed along with data gathered for position of the LiDAR system to build a 3D model.
Line of Sight
Any flight where the operator can see the drone and know its orientation without any visual aids other than glasses.
Li-Ion
Lithium Ion battery. A type of battery that generally provides higher efficiency than LiPo, but at the cost of less power available at a given time. These batteries are good when power draw is low, and efficiency is critical. These batteries are also more prone to combustion than other battery, so it is generally good to have protective circuits for these batteries that protect from dangerous conditions.
LiPo
Lithium Polymer battery. These batteries can generally provide a lot of power quickly as compared to similarly sized Li-Ions, but at the cost of efficiency. These batteries also generally have a lower lifespan than Li-Ion batteries. These batteries are good for higher power activities or systems where efficiency is less critical.
Max Take-Off Weight
The maximum weight at which a drone can safely take off and complete a mission.
Max Winds
The maximum wind speed a drone should be operated in. This may apply to gusts or sustained winds, which is generally specified by the manufacturer.
No Fly Zone
Places that the U.S. Government had put restrictions on which do not allow any UAV’s to fly
Optical Resolution
Resolution provided by an optical sensor.
Part 107
Federal regulation 14 CFR Part 107. This is the regulation that applies to all commercial operators flying drones less than 55 pounds.
Payload
The options to be added to drones that all for data collection in specific ways; for example, cameras may provide optical data while thermal cameras provide thermal data
Range
The linear distance a drone can fly during a single mission.
Range from Operator
The distance a drone is flying from an operator.
Recovery
The method by which a drone safely terminates a mission and returns to the ground. May or may not require operator input.
RSSI
Received Signal Strength Indicator. This measurement can be used to determine signal quality health.
RTK Positioning System
Real-Time Kinematic positioning system. An RTK positioning system uses a reference station to improve position accuracy in real time.
Semi-Autonomous Flight
Flight where an operator must provide some input to complete an operation.
Servo
A rotary or linear actuator that allows for precise control of angular or linear position. Generally, servos are used in drones to adjust control surfaces or, for gas-powered drones, throttle position
Sidelap
The amount of overlap a dataset has on each side from adjacent flight lines.
Spectral Bands
A range of wavelength a sensor can detect. Having sensors for multiple spectral bands is particularly useful for determining plant health.
Telemetry Equipment
Telemetry equipment allows for monitoring of the status and health of a drone.
Thermal Resolution
Resolution provided by a thermal sensor.
Transmitter
Used to transmit commands to a drone.
Video Output Resolution
A measure of the finest detail that will be displayed by a payload in the output data; the higher the number, the finer the detail
VTOL
Stands for Vertical Take-off and Landing which means the drone can take off from the group without a launch system required
Waypoint
A specific location programmed into the GPS during flight planning to allow the drone to following the waypoints on its own enabling autonomous flight
Wing Span
The distance from wing tip to wing tip of the drone when fully assembled and ready for flight