Our design team came up with five archetypal drones for this project. Some closely mirror current drone technology, and one—Enord—images where things might head in the next 15 years, but all embody the ideal of a human-centered device designed to improve lives. So yeah, no Predators. None.

Glider

Gliders can cover long distances with minimal energy. They are best paired with cameras and sensors for aerial feedback of large areas. Glider’s biggest challenge is in take off and landing. Many are launched by being thrown into the air or shot off a tube. Landing requires setting up a net, utilizing wheels and a runway, or anticipating a planned crash. Gliders can be used to carry payloads, but release may require an airdrop via parachute.

Float

Floats are slow moving and energy efficient. They can be used to create line-of-sight networks and/or relay visual feedback of their surroundings in real time. Because winds can be problematic, consider either tethering Float to the ground or accounting for movement through self-navigation within a large fixed area. A solar charging skin can also provide power to flight and network functions.

Carrier

Carriers are maneuverable drones that can pick up payloads and transport them to a variety of destinations. Due to the power consumption required to lift loads and navigate both vertically and horizontally, Carriers are currently limited to short distances. An infrastructure to charge them along a journey may be required.

Enord

Enord is a fictional drone created to represent where we think drones could be in 10-15 years. Enord has enough intelligence to charge itself when power is running low, can be programmed to do a variety of tasks easily via gesture or speech, and can switch between Glider and hover modes for maximum versatility.

Bug

Bugs are tiny flying machines with different built-in sensors. Data collected can include but is not limited to weather data and environmental monitoring. They can relay feedback periodically to a network or be manually collected for analysis.