Saturday, September 12, 2015

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: The Eye In The Sky

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INTRODUCTION

UAVs have become quite the norm even in a Developing World nation like Pakistan, to the point that the things can be seen hovering over nearly every public gathering like giant insects, gathering information about the event or the attendees. But, despite the 21st Century glamor about the UAV - the US FAA officially referred to drones in 2005, after the War On Terror began - variations of this technology have been in use since the mid-1800s.

The Free Dictionary (www.thefreedictionary.com) defines an unmanned aerial vehicle as follows:

"A powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or non-lethal payload. Ballistic or semi-ballistic vehicles, cruise missiles, and artillery projectiles are not considered unmanned aerial vehicles. Also called UAV."

Renowned Serbian-American scientist Nikola Tesla - the first scientist to research the applications & dangers of directed energy weapons - was the first to design an unmanned combat aerial vehicle in 1915. In effect, UAVs as we know them today, have been in use since the early 1900s. They became an official part of military technology that is routinely used in the field in World War II, & have been highly sought-after weapons ever since.

They have come to the attention of the general public because of the recent crossover into civilian uses, some of which are cargo transport, commercial aerial surveillance (anti-piracy, home security, livestock monitoring, pipeline security, road patrol & wildfire mapping), commercial & motion picture film-making, conservation, crop spraying, de-mining, journalism, law enforcement, maritime patrol, professional aerial surveying (aerial photogrammetry, LiDAR platforms, oil, gas, minerals, disaster relief, archaeology), reconnaissance, scientific research & search & rescue.

TYPES

Whether a UAV is "civilian" or "military" in nature depends primarily on what equipment has been affixed to it. Civilian UAVs usually have different varieties of camera mounted on it, while military versions are equipped with a wide variety of "less than lethal" surveillance & crowd control gadgets. UAVs have gotten a very bad reputation during the last decade or so on account of the enthusiastic coverage of military drones blowing people to bits everywhere from Asia to Africa - mostly with no discrimination between the innocent & the guilty. Since the civilian UAV market is growing exponentially & there is no way to wash away the stain of the numerous "friendly fire" fiascos, the best way to address public distrust of the technology is a logical assessment of the most popular gadgets that UAVs can be equipped with, a list of which is given below (courtesy Wikipedia):

Cameras

A camera may work with the light of the visible spectrum or with other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. A still camera is an optical device which creates a single image of an object or scene, and records it on an electronic sensor or photographic film. All cameras use the same basic design: light enters an enclosed box through a converging lens and an image is recorded on a light-sensitive medium. A shutter mechanism controls the length of time that light can enter the camera. A movie camera or a video camera operates similarly to a still camera, except it records a series of static images in rapid succession, commonly at a rate of 24 frames per second. When the images are combined and displayed in order, the illusion of motion is achieved.

Thermographic cameras usually detect radiation in the long-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (roughly 9,000–14,000 nanometers or 9–14 µm) and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms. Since infrared radiation is emitted by all objects with a temperature above absolute zero according to the black body radiation law, thermography makes it possible to see one's environment with or without visible illumination. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature; therefore, thermography allows one to see variations in temperature. When viewed through a thermal imaging camera, warm objects stand out well against cooler backgrounds; humans and other warm-blooded animals become easily visible against the environment, day or night. As a result, thermography is particularly useful to the military and other users of surveillance cameras.

Jammers

Radar jamming and deception (electronic countermeasure) is the intentional emission of radio frequency signals to interfere with the operation of a radar by saturating its receiver with noise or false information. There are two types of radar jamming: Mechanical and Electronic jamming.

A radio jammer is any device that deliberately blocks, jams or interferes with authorized wireless communications. In some cases jammers work by the transmission of radio signals that disrupt communications by decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio.

Counter-IED equipment is created primarily for military and law enforcement. It is used for stand-off detection of explosives and explosive precursor components and defeating the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) themselves as part of a broader counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, or law enforcement effort.

A mobile phone jammer is an instrument used to prevent cellular phones from receiving signals from base stations. When used, the jammer effectively disables cellular phones. These devices can be used in practically any location.

Rubber Bullets

Rubber bullets (also called rubber baton rounds) are rubber or rubber-coated projectiles that can be fired from either standard firearms or dedicated riot guns. They are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to metal projectiles. Like other similar projectiles made from plastic, wax, and wood, rubber bullets may be used for short range practice and animal control, but are most commonly associated with use in riot control and to disperse protests. These types of projectiles are sometimes called baton rounds. Rubber projectiles have largely been replaced by other materials as rubber tends to bounce uncontrollably. Such "kinetic impact munitions" are meant to cause pain but not serious injury. They are expected to produce contusions, abrasions, and hematomas. However, they may cause bone fractures, injuries to internal organs, or death. In a study of injuries in 90 patients injured by rubber bullets, one died, 17 suffered permanent disabilities or deformities and 41 required hospital treatment after being fired upon with rubber bullets.

Lachrymatory Agents


Tear gas, formally known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (from the Latin "lacrima", meaning "tear"), is a chemical weapon that causes severe eye, respiratory, and skin irritation, pain, vomiting, and even blindness. In the eye, it stimulates the nerves of the lachrymal gland to produce tears. Common lachrymators include pepper spray (OC gas), CS gas, CR gas, CN gas (phenacyl chloride), nonivamide, bromoacetone, xylyl bromide, syn-propanethial-S-oxide (from onions), and Mace (a branded mixture). Lachrymatory agents are commonly used for riot control. Their use in warfare is prohibited by various international treaties. During World War I, increasingly toxic lachrymatory agents were used.

Pepper spray, also known as OC spray (from "oleoresin capsicum"), OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears. Its inflammatory effects cause the eyes to close, taking away vision. This temporary blindness allows officers to more easily restrain subjects and permits people using pepper spray for self-defense an opportunity to escape. Although considered a less-than-lethal agent, it has been deadly in rare cases, and concerns have been raised about a number of deaths where being pepper sprayed may have been a contributing factor.

Sonic Weapons

Sonic and ultrasonic weapons (USW) are weapons of various types that use sound to injure, incapacitate, or kill an opponent. Some sonic weapons are currently in limited use or in research and development by military and police forces. Some of these weapons have been described as sonic bullets, sonic grenades, sonic mines, or sonic cannons. Some make a focused beam of audible sound, infrasound or ultrasound; some make an area field of sound. Extremely high-power sound waves can disrupt or destroy the eardrums of a target and cause severe pain or disorientation. Less powerful sound waves can cause humans to experience nausea or discomfort. A device that produces frequency that causes vibration of the eyeballs - & therefore distortion of vision - was confirmed by the work of engineer Vic Tandy.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also sometimes called a transient electromagnetic disturbance, is a short burst of electromagnetic energy. Such a pulse may occur in the form of a radiated, electric or magnetic field or a conducted electric current depending on the source, and may be natural or man-made. The term "electromagnetic pulse" is commonly abbreviated to the initials EMP (which is pronounced by saying the letters separately, "E-M-P"). EMP interference is generally disruptive or damaging to electronic equipment, and at higher energy levels a powerful EMP event such as a lightning strike can damage physical objects such as buildings and aircraft structures. The management of EMP effects is an important branch of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) engineering. The damaging effects of high-energy EMP have been used to create EMP weapons. These are typically divided into nuclear and non-nuclear devices.

A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". Lasers of all but the lowest powers can potentially be used as incapacitating weapons, through their ability to produce temporary or permanent vision loss in varying degrees when aimed at the eyes. The degree, character, and duration of vision impairment caused by eye exposure to laser light varies with the power of the laser, the wavelength(s), the collimation of the beam, the exact orientation of the beam, and the duration of exposure. Lasers of even a fraction of a watt in power can produce immediate, permanent vision loss under certain conditions, making such lasers potential non-lethal but incapacitating weapons. The extreme handicap that laser-induced blindness represents makes the use of lasers even as non-lethal weapons morally controversial, and weapons designed to cause blindness have been banned by the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons. Incidents of pilots being exposed to lasers while flying have prompted aviation authorities to implement special procedures to deal with such hazards.

Tasers

A Taser or conducted electrical weapon (CEW) is an electroshock weapon sold by Taser International. It fires two small dart-like electrodes, which stay connected to the main unit by conductors, to deliver electric current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles causing "neuromuscular incapacitation". Someone struck by a Taser experiences stimulation of their sensory nerves and motor nerves, resulting in strong involuntary muscle contractions. Tasers do not rely only on pain compliance, except when used in "Drive Stun" mode, and are thus preferred by some law enforcement over non-Taser stun guns and other electronic control weapons. Critics argue that Tasers and other high-voltage stun devices can cause cardiac arrhythmia in susceptible subjects, possibly leading to heart attack or death in minutes by ventricular fibrillation, which leads to cardiac arrest and - if not treated immediately - to sudden death. Tasers, like other electric devices, have been found to ignite flammable materials. For this reason Tasers come with express instructions not to use them where flammable liquids or fumes may be present, such as filling stations and methamphetamine labs.

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