Does an Autonomous Drone Return Home at All Time?

Abstract

One of the aims of the introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) was to protect the most valuable combat instrument, the human factor. Human life had to be protected and it also had to be protected against dangerous factors. For this purpose, in the beginning, robots for ground forces and later aerial robots were established. The aim was to deploy them in situations considered dangerous. Initially, this equipment was cable-operated, and then remotely controlled. Today, according to the fast evolution of IT and control technologies, intelligent autonomous systems have been promoted and taken their place. In this article, the author is introducing various types and forms of UAV control and will illustrate with examples the possibilities of their appearance in the field of an unmanned flight. With the assistance of a generic model system the reader can understand the basic on-board devices responsible for the flight of the UA. Finally, the author is proposing suggestions with regard to the prevention and elimination of disclosed risks to have the drone return safely when its task has been already achieved.