UAV(unmannedaerial vehicle) is a broader and more formal term. It refers to any aircraft that operates without a human pilot on board. UAVs can come in various sizes and configurations, from small quadcopters and fixed-wing aircraft to large, military drones.
UAVs are used in a wide range of applications, including commercial, scientific, recreational, and more. UAVs encompass a wide spectrum of capabilities and may include advanced aircraft used in complex scientific research platforms, and even simple recreational quadcopters.
drone is a more colloquial and widely used term, often associated with consumer and commercial unmanned aircraft. It is a simplified way of referring to UAVs. drones are typically smaller, consumer-oriented aircraft used for various purposes such as aerial photography, videography, recreational flying, and commercial applications like surveying, mapping, and inspection.
in popular usage, the term "drone" is often used to describe small, multirotor aircraft like quadcopters, but it can also refer to other types of UAVs.
when the drone deviates from its setpoint, the integral controller takes note of the duration and magnitude of the error and applies corrective actions proportionally. By doing so, it helps the drone correct for any differences between the desired altitude and its actual altitude, allowing for a stable and precise hover at the specified height.
without the integral controller, the drones performance in maintaining the desired altitude could suffer significantly. the proportional and derivative controllers can handle immediate adjustments, but they may struggle to eliminate small, persistent errors that occur over time, leading to steady-state errors.
as a result, the drone might experience constant oscillations around the target altitude, never settling precisely at the desired level. In the absence of the integral controller, the drones altitude control would lack the crucial ability to learn from past errors and could lead to a less stable and less accurate flight experience.