M-TAC Drone
- Adrian Kelly
- Aug 22, 2025
- 1 min read
Drones are often called robots because, at their core, they meet the same definition that applies to ground-based robots:
Autonomous or semi-autonomous operation
Even if a pilot controls them, drones can perform many functions on their own, such as stabilising flight, avoiding obstacles, or following GPS waypoints without constant human input.
Sensors + data processing
Like other robots, drones gather information from their environment using cameras, GPS, LiDAR, thermal sensors, and more. They process this data in real time to make decisions (e.g., adjusting altitude in wind, locking onto a subject).
Actuators / movement
Robots use motors or actuators to interact with the physical world. For drones, that’s their propellers, gimbals, and sometimes payload-release mechanisms.
Programmability
Many drones can execute pre-programmed missions, just like industrial robots execute programmed tasks.
Cyber-physical system
A robot is basically a computer that can act on the physical world. A drone is exactly that, a flying computer with mechanical control over its motion and often its camera payload.