Perhaps the most powerful technology available for tracking vehicles and individuals are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also referred to as drones. A UAV for instance is a powered, aerial vehicle without a human pilot which uses aerodynamic forces.

 Military aircraft that is guided autonomously, by remote control, or both and that carries sensors, target designators, offensive ordnance, or electronic transmitters designed to interfere with or destroy enemy targets. Unencumbered by crew, life-support systems, and the design-safety requirements of manned aircraft, UAVs can be remarkably efficient, offering substantially greater range and endurance than equivalent manned systems.

How Does Drone Surveillance System Work?

Drone surveillance refers to the act of keeping a visual track of an individual, a group, objects, or a situation for the purpose of thwarting any kind of threat. Drones regularly carry high-resolution cameras, infrared cameras, heat sensors, GPS, sensors that detect movement, and automated license plate readers. These cameras may include facial recognition technology that would make it possible to remotely identify individuals from a distance without their knowledge.

The applications of a UAV pan across sector and geography serving commercial, scientific and security requirements among others. With the ability to reach inaccessible areas, UAVs hold the potential to be omnipresent across sectors, ranging from military and civil, and are disrupting every workflow including data capturing, goods delivery, area mapping among others. Few of the more critical application areas of UAVs include surveillance and offensive operations as well as for assessing damage, deliver aid and locate victims at the time of natural disasters.

DRDO has designed and developed drones for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition / tracking and image exploitation such as Nishant, Panchi, and Rustom II, a medium altitude long endurance UAV built for the Indian armed forces.