Drones Explained | Drone Glossary
Drones can be a confusing topic and often people can be put off by complicated terminology. This ‘Drones Explained’ guide aims to help you get up and flying as easy as possible. If you want to skip the technical terms and just check out the best drones on the market then head over to our Drone Directory.
Drone
GPS
Global Positioning Systems keep track of of the drones position using satellites
Return to home
Return to home is a one press function that uses GPS to land it where it took off
Glonass
Glonass has less satellite coverage than GPS but improved accuracy and can be used in tandem with GPS for extended satellite coverage.
UAV
A UAV is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and his widely covers all remote controlled aircraft.
Autonomous
When an aircraft is flying using tracking or pre-defined flight paths without the aid of human intervention over remote control.
FPV
FPV short for First Person View is achieved by using the camera’s view to fly the aircraft.
LiPo
Short for Lithium Polymer is a type of battery.
Payload
A payload is anything carried by the drone that isn’t required, this can be anything from a camera to a parcel
Gyroscope
The gyroscope records its position in 3D spaces and keeps the unit level whilst flying.
RTF
RTF means ‘Ready To Fly’ and refers to a drone package that includes all equipment required to fly.
Accelerometer
An Accelerometer is a component used to measure speed and direction.
Bind
Binding is the process of connecting two devices together, this term is commonly used to describe connecting a controller to a drone.
Quadcopter
A quadcopter is a four bladed aircraft and the most common type available
Brushless Motors
Higher power to weight ratio, increased speed, and electronic control over traditional brushed motors.
Camera
4K video
4K is 3840 x 2160 pixels
2K
2K is 2048 × 1080 pixels
HD video
HD video is 1280 x 720 pixels
Full HD (1080p)
Full HD is 1920 x 1080 pixels
Gimbal
The gimbal is the component of the drone that keeps the camera steady and footage looking smooth.
2-axis
Stabilises pitch and roll movements
3-axis
Stabilises pitch, roll and yaw movements
Pitch
Pitch is the up and down movement of the gimbal
Roll
Roll is horizontal twisting movement of the gimbal, this keeps it level
