The MQ-1 Predator was the first widely successful Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Invented by Abraham Karem, it allowed for long-endurance surveillance and eventually precision strikes without risking a pilot’s life. This invention transformed 21st-century warfare and surveillance. The technology has since trickled down to the civilian market, where quadcopter drones are used for everything from filmmaking and agriculture to infrastructure inspection and delivery services.