Unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly referred to as drones, have moved from the realm of science fiction to just another fact of modern life.

This list of terms and concepts, created by Mark W. Kaelin for TechRepublic Premium, will help you grasp the vocabulary behind the technology, so that you can deal with the machines themselves and the people who are operating them.

• Featured definition from the download:

  Closed loop

  Control architecture that incorporates sensor feedback to adjust flight behavior. In drones, the PID controller is most commonly used in closed-loop systems. It is also known as hybrid control architecture.

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TIME SAVED: Crafting this content required 20 hours of dedicated writing, editing, research, and design.