Glossary
Commercial drone terms, without the fog.
41 terms in 4 groups, from 70 kg payload and 70 L tank to RTK ±10 cm, available in 10 languages with the same definitions across the site.
Aircraft and payload
- UAV
- Unmanned aerial vehicle. An aircraft without a pilot on board, operated remotely or autonomously.
- Commercial drone
- A UAV used for productive work such as spraying, spreading, mapping or inspection, rather than consumer photography.
- Payload
- The useful load an aircraft can carry — liquid, granules, a camera or another task module — excluding the airframe and batteries.
- MTOW
- Maximum take-off weight. The maximum total weight of the aircraft, payload and batteries at take-off.
- Tank
- The liquid container on a spraying drone, usually measured in litres.
- Hopper
- The container for dry material such as fertiliser, seed or powder, usually measured in litres.
- Swath
- The effective width covered by one pass. It is narrower than the physical spray width because overlap and wind reduce coverage.
- Droplet size
- The size of spray droplets, usually in micrometres (µm). Smaller droplets give better coverage but are more prone to drift.
Guidance and mapping
- RTK
- Real-Time Kinematic. A correction technique that brings satellite positioning to centimetre-level accuracy.
- GNSS
- Global Navigation Satellite System. The general term for satellite positioning systems such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou.
- CORS
- Continuously Operating Reference Station. A network of fixed base stations that provides correction signals.
- PPP
- Precise Point Positioning. A correction service that does not require a local base station.
- Radar
- A sensor that detects obstacles and terrain using radio waves. Agricultural drones may use 4D imaging radar for obstacle avoidance.
- Obstacle avoidance
- The system that detects an obstacle in the flight path and slows, stops or routes around it.
- Multispectral
- Imaging with bands beyond visible light, used to calculate crop indices such as NDVI and NDRE.
- NDVI
- Normalised Difference Vegetation Index. A vegetation vigour index calculated from near-infrared and red reflectance.
- Orthomosaic
- A georeferenced image made by stitching overlapping aerial photos into one map.
- DEM / DSM
- Digital Elevation Model and Digital Surface Model. Raster models of terrain height and surface height, including objects such as trees and buildings.
- Photogrammetry
- The process of deriving measurements and 3D models from overlapping photographs.
- Prescription map
- A zone map that tells application equipment where to apply a different rate.
- Variable rate
- Applying different amounts of product across a field instead of one uniform rate.
Application and equipment
- Spraying drone
- An agricultural drone configured with a tank, pump and nozzles for liquid application.
- Spreading
- Applying dry material such as fertiliser, seed or feed from a hopper and spreader.
- Fertigation
- Applying fertiliser through an irrigation system, usually with a valve, injector and controller.
- UGV
- Unmanned ground vehicle. A self-propelled ground platform for field work such as orchard spraying.
- Autopilot
- A guidance console that steers a tractor or other field machine along a planned line.
- Telemetry
- Data transmitted from the aircraft to the controller, such as position, battery, speed and status.
- Firmware
- The software installed on the aircraft and controller that controls its behaviour and features.
- Task module
- A swappable payload such as a spray system, granule spreader or mapping camera.
Business and compliance
- MOQ
- Minimum order quantity. The smallest order a supplier will accept for a configuration or market.
- Lead time
- The time from order confirmation to shipment or delivery, excluding transit unless stated.
- Incoterms
- Standard international trade terms that define who pays for freight, insurance, duties and risk at each stage.
- Warranty
- The manufacturer’s terms for repairing or replacing defective parts within a defined period and scope.
- OEM / ODM
- Original Equipment Manufacturer and Original Design Manufacturer. OEM builds to another brand’s specification; ODM also contributes the design.
- Commissioning
- The process of checking, configuring and test-flying a system before handover.
- Dealer
- A reseller that sells and supports products in a defined territory, usually with a direct relationship to the distributor.
- Distributor
- A company authorized to supply a manufacturer’s products in a territory, often with stock, training and service responsibilities.
- Authorization
- Written confirmation from the manufacturer or brand owner that a company may distribute or represent its products.
- Remote ID
- An electronic identification system that broadcasts an aircraft’s identity and location to authorities or other users.
- Aerial application approval
- A regulatory approval to apply agricultural products from the air, separate from the pilot licence in many countries.
Next step
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Commercial Drone Factory/Updated 6 November 2026