Drones

By
Yougindra Naraine
Form 5’s’
What is a drone?
• 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).
How drones fly
A lot goes into the drone generating upward lift and performing various movements. This is a list of all the components that

play a role in the propulsion of a drone:

Motor Propellers

Flight controller Motor Stator

Bearings Motor Bell

Windings Motor Stator

Common Drone Movements
Here are some of the most common drone movements and their definitions:

• Yaw – This is when the drone’s front section rotates in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

• Pitch – This is the tilt the drone assumes depending on the direction it’s moving. To accelerate forward, drones lower the

front section and lift the rear section. To reverse, they lift the front section and lower the rear section.

• Roll – This is the movement in which a drone moves to the left or the right.
Drone motors
This is one of the most crucial parts of the propulsion system. Batteries power the motors, causing them to rotate at

high speeds. As a result, the motors rotate the propellers, creating lift.

There are two main types of motors; brushless and brushed motors. Brushless motors are the most commonly used

because they’re efficient, durable, and can rotate at very high speeds.
What’s the difference between brushed and brushless motors? It all comes down to how they function. But before I explain the

differences, here's a definition of the main parts that differentiate them.

Stator – A stator is the section of a motor that has windings. It’s the part that provides a magnetic field, which then initiates

rotation in the rotor. To create a magnetic field, stators have windings of copper wire which turn into magnets every time a

current runs through them. In most cases, the stator is stationary.

Rotor – The rotor is the part that rotates, causing a rotation in the shaft, which then causes a rotation of the propellers.

Air Gap – This is the distance between the rotor and the stator. The larger it is, the less effective the motors will be.

Motor Bell – This is the part that causes the propellers to rotate either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
Drone propellers
The propellers have to rotate in different directions to generate lift and maintain the drone in the air. In each pair of propellers,

one is rotating clockwise, and the other one is rotating counter-clockwise.

As they rotate, they create a zone of low pressure. Air moves from low-pressure regions to high-pressure regions. That’s how

the drone is able to move up, down, forward, or backward depending on how the speeds at which the propellers rotate.
Number of propellers
Most drones have 4 propellers, and are known as quadcopters. This didn’t happen by chance or as a way to give the drones

their signature look. There’s a reason behind it. To explain it better, let’s start by assuming a drone had one propeller.

Such a drone would generate enough lift to propel the drone into the air, but it will be very difficult to control the drone since it

has no way to move forward or in reverse. Besides, the drone will continuously be rotating in the opposite direction.
Directional movement
• To hover, all motors receive equal power and rotate at the same speed.

• To move forward, the front propellers slow down, while the rear propellers increase their speed. This makes the drone pitch

forward by lowering the front part.

• To yaw, motors in a diagonal pattern will slow down, allowing the drone to rotate on an axis to the left or the right.

• To roll, the rotors on the left or the right are slowed down depending on the direction you want to roll in.
Gyroscopes
Gyroscopes are another vital feature that helps stabilize a drone. They consist of a wheel rotating on an axis. This

wheel rotates in such a way that, even if the drone tilts, it will still maintain its balance.

Drones face a wide range of forces in the air, including wind and gravity. As a result, it can become very difficult to

control the drone, especially when there are big wind gusts. Gyroscopes are designed to detect all these forces and compensate

for them, so the drone will appear unaffected.

Drone LED lights
All drones come with LED lights. And even though they can be viewed as decorations, these LED lights serve a purpose. In most cases, they are used to inform you of

the status of the drone. Below are the main ones and what they mean.

• Red could mean low battery levels, IMU or other system errors, RTH mode, or agility mode.

• Green is also a common color that often shows the battery levels are suitable for taking off or for showing that the GPS has connected to enough satellites.

• White – White colored LEDs may mean a poor GPS connection or lack thereof, or that the transmitter is off.

• Blue – Blue can mean Blind Mode or Stability Mode.

• Orange/Yellow – These colors can mean a poor GPS connection or poor compass calibration that needs to be rectified.

• Purple – This color is used to show Return to Home or Follow-Me modes are working. But if it’s blinking, it may mean there’s an issue with these modes. It is also

used to signify AP Mode in some drones.