Drones are uncrewed aerial vehicles initially created to carry out military missions that were too risky for human soldiers or as targets for training purposes. They can be traced back to the 19th century (and used balloons) as a military innovation.
For a long time, they were much larger, heavier, and costlier than they are now. In fact, they still looked pretty much like planes but smaller and remote-controlled.
As technology advances, drones have become more compact and affordable. In 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration granted the first civil unmanned aerial vehicle airworthiness certificate. But drones would not become popular with hobbyists and businesses until the early 2010s when many new drone applications started to appear.