Surprisingly powerful surveillance sensors compressed into small packages and new software tools are revolutionizing the drone market in a wide cross-section of industries.The Pentagon expects to capitalize on this emerging technology. For the military, miniaturized autonomous aircraft hold much promise as weapons that could give forces an edge in combat, and be far less costly than the traditional systems used for data collection and targeting.Tiny robot aircraft that self-deploy to serve as “eyes and ears” and also in killer roles are on a path to become larger players in the battlefield. A study recently unveiled by the deputy chief of staff of the Air Force for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance characterizes small drones as “exponential force multipliers.”
