History of UAS

Introduction:
Unmanned aircraft has been an interest since the early days of aviation. Whether it be for commercial or military use, drones have been designed and tested all the way back to the mid 1800's. Drones started off as early types of balloons and have only increased in technological complexity ever since. This is a general overview of the development of unmanned aerial systems throughout time in the response to many events and innovations

1800's

(Figure.1 Austrian Hot air Balloon)

One of the first ever occurrences of an unmanned vehicle in use is in 1849 when Austria used hot air balloons to bomb Venice Italy. (Figure.1) From this point balloons became the first platform for the development of drones. Soon after, these hot air balloons became useful for other militaristic purposes. During the American Civil War, hot air balloons were also used to gather and telegraph information about the other side. These hot air balloons were not accurate and they could not necessarily be controlled. They would be set on a course and let go. Alongside balloons, kites were also being used for the same purpose of gathering information in the Spanish American War However, on the other side of the spectrum, companies and individuals were designing and creating drones for non military uses. Nikolas Tesla created the first radio controlled toy boat in the same year. These were very early concepts for autonomy but they paved the way for the future.

1900's 

(Figure.2 Kettering Bug)

Throughout the 1900's unmanned aircraft technology continued to grow as the aviation industry grew alongside it. Much like Nikolas Tesla's radio controlled boat, radio controlled toys peak the interest of consumers. On the military side, unmanned aircraft are seen as weapons. The flying bomb successfully flew autonomously to its target in 1917. In 1918, Orville Wright creates a drone known as the Kettering bug. (Figure.2) This was an experimental aerial torpedo that could be launched to its target at speed of up to 80 km per hour. As the 1900's continue, radio is being used more frequently and Reginald Denry creates a 9 foot radio controlled model airplane. In the second half of the century, balloons are seeing continued use WWII. At the end of the century DARPA launched the first satellite into space creating the first global satellite navigation system. The 1900's was a crucial time period for drone development. They saw mostly war related uses but the development of the technology was a key component in the drone industry we see today.

2000's

(Figure.4 DJI Phantom 4 Pro)

As the 21st century rolls around, drones are becoming more and more reliable and the technology behind them is stable. Ease of use functions will continue to be developed in order to make flying drones safer and more efficient. In 2006, DJI was founded in a dorm room of Honk Kong University of Science and Technology. This was the start of the most prominent company in the modern drone industry. In the next 14 years, DJI would continue to develop their drones. (Figure.3) Gimbals are being perfect allowing cameras to be stabilized and photography to be smoother. As drones become more and more common, DJI develops an obstacle avoidance and thermal scanning system to improve the safety of UAS in 2015. As the commercial side of unmanned aircraft is growing, the military side, while not as prominent, is continuing to advance as well. The CIA begins its research program and the predator program began as well.

Conclusion:
Throughout history drones have developed quite rapidly. From balloons to the top of the line predator, drones have seen many forms and innovations over the past few centuries. Moving from large balloons to small handheld quad copters, as they continue to grow, new technology will emerge making them far superior to the ones before, much like they did from the 1800's until now.