Development of the Quadcopter

A quadcopter is a multicopter that is lifted by four rotors. Unlike traditional helicopters, the quadcopter use 2 sets of propellers with 2 clockwise and 2 anti-clockwise. It was first designed by Louis Breguet in 1907. It lifted off the ground by using four propellers in four different directions. Although it could only go up for several feet, it was a great step for the development of quadcopters. More than a decade later, in the 1920s, more engineers and scientists developed their own types of rotorcraft. Edmond Oehmichen, a French engineer and helicopter designer, successfully designed a multicopter with four rotors that were installed at the ends of four arms. It provided a very high stability at that time and marked a record of 360 meters traveling distance. As time has passed, the quadcopter has changed into different styles and models. In 1950s-1960s, the world was undergoing a very rapid economic development. There was a huge demand for transportation of industrial materials. The quadcopter was a machine that people always prefer to use. However, due to lack improvement of the quadcopter, it was still not adopted for industrial use.

In recent years, many small scale quadcopter are widely used in many ways. As there are many advanced airplanes, quadcopters are no longer under consideration as a means to transport people or commodities. Instead, they are used in different areas, like ordnance surveying, rescue support, film taking etc. Nowadays, quadcopters are always equipped with a camera. The data recorded by a quadcopter can be directly sent to a computer or saved in a storage system.

During the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, landslides blocked miles of country roads and properties. The rescuers could not enter the affected area. Also, airplanes could land or fly over some of these remote areas. The situation in the affected area remained unknown for the rescuers. The quadcopter help people to assess the damage quickly and more accurately in the