The noun “drone” originally referred to a male honeybee. It was first adopted to describe pilotless aircraft (probably) during the 1940s, and has since expanded to include all pilotless vehicles, airborne or otherwise: Today, cars, boats, and submarines can be “drones,” too.
As computers and robotics have advanced, “drone” has started to imply a more sophisticated autonomy. The phrase “true drone” has been cropping up, lately, indicating a vehicle that is not only unmanned, but self-piloting: Tell it where to go, and it simply goes there without further instruction.
However you feel about the terminology, the technology of unmanned aerial vehicles is fascinating and is generally applicable whether your ambitions lie in the area of “true drones” or traditional R/C. Given limited space, we have limited our focus mostly to airborne examples, but here, too, many of the same ideas can be applied to drones on the ground, on or under the water, and perhaps even in outer space.
The Latest Drone News and Projects from Make:
This Man Is On A Quest To Build A Life Sized Flying DeLorean
He's tackling the monumental build, and you can follow along through the process
- Posted by Caleb Kraft | December 29th, 2023 8:00 AM
The Curious Case of Underwater Drones at CES
The one new trend we spotted at CES 2019: lots and lots of underwater rovers.
- Posted by Mike Senese | January 11th, 2019 12:40 PM
DJI’s Tiny Osmo Pocket Camera Looks Good For Stablized Project Documenting
A few years ago, the only options for camera stabilizers were awkward rigs that required carefully balanced passive gimbals, or clunky, large weights strapped to the bottom of a camera to add shake-reducing mass. As the drone industry has pushed micro-gimbal technology forward, it’s fascinating to see it become implemented in tinier and cheaper platforms. […]
- Posted by Mike Senese | November 28th, 2018 12:53 PM
Terrorize the Skies With This DIY R/C Flying Witch
Capture the spookiness of the autumn season with a life-size witch flying on a broom high in the skies.
- Posted by Mike Senese | October 29th, 2018 11:48 AM
What Happened to the Drones From Zano, the $3 Million Dollar Failed Kickstarter?
Many of you probably remember the Zano drone, a kickstarter that raised over 3 million dollars, then collapsed, failing to deliver functional drones to backers. I’m not going to get into why it failed, but rather what happened to all those tiny drone bodies, circuit boards, and motors that were left over as the company […]
- Posted by Caleb Kraft | September 26th, 2018 6:00 AM
Raining Blood? Drone-Flown Vital Fluid Network Proposed for Palo Alto
If implemented, this network can deliver supplies from a blood bank to the hospital in minutes.
- Posted by Mike Senese | April 25th, 2018 11:14 AM
Check Out This Sneaky Railway Smuggler Tram
This goes without saying, but don't build one of these.
- Posted by Mike Senese | January 17th, 2018 11:36 AM
That’s No Moon! That’s a Death Star Drone
You have to see this amazing Death Star drone mod! It's huge and it's taking on planets and rebel fighters in this video from Flitetest.
- Posted by Caleb Kraft | December 20th, 2016 6:00 AM
Visualize the Scale of the Solar System with Drones and Football Fields
Our solar system is big and that can make it hard to visualize. In this video Mark Rober uses drones to show the distances involved.
- Posted by Caleb Kraft | March 14th, 2016 5:00 AM
Watch This Imperial Shuttle Drone Hover Ominously Through the Night
One maker's quest to create an RC Imperial Shuttle from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, with servo-controlled retracting wings.
- Posted by Adam Woodworth | February 10th, 2016 11:25 AM
Parrot Unveils 50mph Fixed-Wing Disco Drone
At CES 2016 Parrot releases details about their upcoming fixed-wing flying drone with a built-in camera.
- Posted by Donald Bell | January 5th, 2016 5:45 AM
FAA Drone Registration Becomes Official on Dec 21, Costs $5
FAA announces registration requirement for drones
- Posted by Jon Christian | December 14th, 2015 10:43 AM
