Single UAV vs. Multi UAV: Key Differences Explained

This article compares single UAV and multi-UAV systems, highlighting their differences and outlining their respective advantages.

What is a UAV (Drone)?

UAV stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, more commonly known as a drone. It’s essentially a mini aircraft that operates without a human pilot on board. A typical UAV system includes the UAV itself, a ground-based controller, and a communication link between the two.

The flight of a UAV can be controlled remotely by a human operator or autonomously by onboard computers. UAVs, or drones, have a wide range of applications across various sectors, including:

• Military
• Commercial
• Scientific
• Agricultural

They’re also used for tasks such as policing, surveillance, product deliveries, peacekeeping, photography, human tracking, medicine spraying, and even detecting smuggling activities.

Drones typically operate at radio frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz. A UAV consists of various components, including the aircraft body, sensors, a computing module, actuators, software, and a power supply.

Single UAV vs. Multi UAV

UAV components

A single UAV system utilizes one UAV to accomplish a specific task.

In contrast, a multi-UAV system employs multiple UAVs to cover a larger area more quickly and capture images or data from different perspectives simultaneously. Multi-UAV systems generally offer greater efficiency and economic advantages compared to single UAV systems.

Key Differences: Single UAV vs. Multi UAV (Table)

The following table summarizes the key differences between single UAV and multi-UAV systems: