The Future for Civilian UAV Operations

2019 ◽  
pp. 266-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarryn Kille ◽  
Paul R. Bates ◽  
Seung Young Lee ◽  
David Murray Kille
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Air Cargo ◽  
Operational Costs ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Air Transport Industry ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
The Future ◽  
History Of

The future looks bright for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Their ability to carry sophisticated imaging equipment attached to lightweight vehicles, to hover in position despite incremental weather conditions, to fly simple missions, and takeoff and land automatically, combined with their comparatively (compared to manned aircraft) lower investment and operational costs has driven a paradigm shift in the history of air transport. This chapter is organized around six themes that underscore the current discourse regarding the future of UAVs in civilian commercial operations, as well as highlighting the discussions of the previous chapters regarding policy and certification, technology, training, social and economic forces, air cargo, and the effect of UAVs on other sectors of the air transport industry.

The Future for Civilian UAV Operations

2021 ◽  
pp. 1588-1601
Author(s):  
Tarryn Kille ◽  
Paul R. Bates ◽  
Seung Young Lee ◽  
David Murray Kille
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Air Cargo ◽  
Operational Costs ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Air Transport Industry ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
The Future ◽  
History Of

The future looks bright for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Their ability to carry sophisticated imaging equipment attached to lightweight vehicles, to hover in position despite incremental weather conditions, to fly simple missions, and takeoff and land automatically, combined with their comparatively (compared to manned aircraft) lower investment and operational costs has driven a paradigm shift in the history of air transport. This chapter is organized around six themes that underscore the current discourse regarding the future of UAVs in civilian commercial operations, as well as highlighting the discussions of the previous chapters regarding policy and certification, technology, training, social and economic forces, air cargo, and the effect of UAVs on other sectors of the air transport industry.

scholarly journals Forestry Remote Sensing from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: A Review Focusing on the Data, Processing and Potentialities

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Guimarães ◽  
Luís Pádua ◽  
Pedro Marques ◽  
Nuno Silva ◽  
Emanuel Peres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Data Processing ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Operational Costs ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Wide Range

Currently, climate change poses a global threat, which may compromise the sustainability of agriculture, forestry and other land surface systems. In a changing world scenario, the economic importance of Remote Sensing (RS) to monitor forests and agricultural resources is imperative to the development of agroforestry systems. Traditional RS technologies encompass satellite and manned aircraft platforms. These platforms are continuously improving in terms of spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions. The high spatial and temporal resolutions, flexibility and lower operational costs make Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) a good alternative to traditional RS platforms. In the management process of forests resources, UAVs are one of the most suitable options to consider, mainly due to: (1) low operational costs and high-intensity data collection; (2) its capacity to host a wide range of sensors that could be adapted to be task-oriented; (3) its ability to plan data acquisition campaigns, avoiding inadequate weather conditions and providing data availability on-demand; and (4) the possibility to be used in real-time operations. This review aims to present the most significant UAV applications in forestry, identifying the appropriate sensors to be used in each situation as well as the data processing techniques commonly implemented.

scholarly journals The Unmanned Passenger Aerial Vehicles with Electric Propulsion in Ukraine – Perspectives of Employment

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (514) ◽  
pp. 152-157
Author(s):  
Y. V. Bielashov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Electric Propulsion ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Environmental Friendliness ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
The Usa ◽  
History Of ◽  
Definition Of

The article explores the issue of institutional provision for the employment of unmanned passenger aerial vehicles with electric propulsion (urban electric aerial vehicles) in Ukraine. The use of such vehicles is considered a promising direction in the development of urban air transport, able to unload traffic bottlenecks of the transport system in megacities. Among the main factors that favorably distinguish urban electric aerial vehicles from traditional air transport are: safety, economic efficiency, quietness, environmental friendliness and low requirements for related infrastructure. Preparations for large-scale use of urban electric aerial vehicles are currently being carried out in Germany, the USA, South Korea and the city of Dubai. The analysis of the advantages and possibilities of using urban electric aerial vehicles is provided; the history of development and the current status of this transport type is carried out. Despite the fact that the first samples of urban electric aerial vehicles are only being tested, there is already a significant competition in this market. Among the main developers of this class of aircraft one can single out the companies EHang (PRC) and Lilium GmbH (Germany). The article reviewes legislative requirements for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles with electric propulsion in certain countries of the world. Borrowing this experience can be useful for Ukraine due to the lack of terminological definition of such a class of vehicle in the natonal legislation; uncertainty of the conditions of their operation and safety measures; lacunas in the existing classification of unmanned aerial vehicles, which does not provide for the existence of programmable aerial vehicle, the control of which does not require a special control station located outside the vehicle, or vehicles that carry out programmable flight. In order to eliminate existing lacunas in Ukrainian legislation, measures have been developed, the implementation of which will allow the use of unmanned passenger aerial vehicles with electric propulsion and will contribute to the further development of air transport in Ukraine.

SUAV WARFARE IN THE NEXT DECADE

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-110
Author(s):  
Rodríguez YAGO
Keyword(s):  
System Design ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Way

Abstract: In this document we have focused on researching the so-called "Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" in order to find out what their main characteristics are and how they may affect the way we fight in the future. To achieve our goal, we have established several subjects relevant to any fighting system: design, manufacturing, tactical capabilities, logistics, recent experiences. After analyzing them we have come to a series of conclusions.

scholarly journals Methodological Ambiguity and Inconsistency Constrain Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as A Silver Bullet for Monitoring Ecological Restoration

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd M. Buters ◽  
Philip W. Bateman ◽  
Todd Robinson ◽  
David Belton ◽  
Kingsley W. Dixon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ecological Monitoring ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
The Future ◽  
Thermal Cameras

The last decade has seen an exponential increase in the application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to ecological monitoring research, though with little standardisation or comparability in methodological approaches and research aims. We reviewed the international peer-reviewed literature in order to explore the potential limitations on the feasibility of UAV-use in the monitoring of ecological restoration, and examined how they might be mitigated to maximise the quality, reliability and comparability of UAV-generated data. We found little evidence of translational research applying UAV-based approaches to ecological restoration, with less than 7% of 2133 published UAV monitoring studies centred around ecological restoration. Of the 48 studies, > 65% had been published in the three years preceding this study. Where studies utilised UAVs for rehabilitation or restoration applications, there was a strong propensity for single-sensor monitoring using commercially available RPAs fitted with the modest-resolution RGB sensors available. There was a strong positive correlation between the use of complex and expensive sensors (e.g., LiDAR, thermal cameras, hyperspectral sensors) and the complexity of chosen image classification techniques (e.g., machine learning), suggesting that cost remains a primary constraint to the wide application of multiple or complex sensors in UAV-based research. We propose that if UAV-acquired data are to represent the future of ecological monitoring, research requires a) consistency in the proven application of different platforms and sensors to the monitoring of target landforms, organisms and ecosystems, underpinned by clearly articulated monitoring goals and outcomes; b) optimization of data analysis techniques and the manner in which data are reported, undertaken in cross-disciplinary partnership with fields such as bioinformatics and machine learning; and c) the development of sound, reasonable and multi-laterally homogenous regulatory and policy framework supporting the application of UAVs to the large-scale and potentially trans-disciplinary ecological applications of the future.

scholarly journals New ‘Foucauldian Boomerangs’: Drones and Urban Surveillance

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole B. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Michel Foucault ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Surveillance Studies ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Historical Importance ◽  
The Future ◽  
Police Forces ◽  
Urban Police

This paper uses the metaphor of ‘boomerangs’ articulated by Michel Foucault to discuss the potential for drones to become the ‘next layer’ of urban surveillance in our cities. Like earlier Western technologies and techniques of government that were ‘tested out’ in foreign warzones and then ‘brought back’ to urban centres (the helicopter and its utilization in Vietnam and its return to urban police forces is a clear illustration hereof), contemporary unmanned aerial vehicles hold the potential to act as proverbial ‘Foucauldian boomerangs’ and return from warzones in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan to Western cities. The paper explores how a nexus of Surveillance Studies and mobilities research may be a fruitful way into comprehending this new phenomenon. En route the practical applications of drones as well as the historical importance of aerial power are connected to a situational understanding of mobilities. The paper points at a number of challenges for the future and should be understood as a first tentative attempt to set this on the research agenda.

scholarly journals Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) landing in windy conditions with MAP-Elites

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sierra A. Adibi ◽  
Scott Forer ◽  
Jeremy Fries ◽  
Logan Yliniemi
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Artificial Neural Network ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
High Wind ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Dangerous Situation ◽  
Vertical Speed ◽  
Aerial Vehicle

AbstractWith the recent increase in the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) comes a surge of inexperienced aviators who may not have the requisite skills to react appropriately if weather conditions quickly change while their aircraft are in flight. This creates a dangerous situation, in which the pilot cannot safely land the vehicle. In this work we examine the use of the MAP-Elites algorithm to search for sets of weights for use in an artificial neural network. This neural network directly controls the thrust and pitching torque of a simulated 3-degree of freedom (2 linear, 1 rotational) fixed-wing UAV, with the goal of obtaining a smooth landing profile. We then examine the use of the same algorithm in high-wind conditions, with gusts up to 30 knots.Our results show that MAP-Elites is an effective method for searching for control policies, and by evolving two separate controllers and switching which controller is active when the UAV is near-ground level, we can produce a wider variety of phenotypic behaviors. The best controllers achieved landing at a vertical speed of <1 m s−1 and at an angle of approach of <1° degree.

Low Speed Aerodynamics of Drogue System Refueling of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

2014 ◽  
Vol 1016 ◽  
pp. 349-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian R. McAndrew ◽  
Elena Navarro ◽  
Orin Godsey
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Military Strategy ◽  
Wind Tunnel Experiments ◽  
Low Speed ◽  
Significant Aspect ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Low Speeds

Refueling aircraft has become a significant aspect of military strategy for air forces to work at further distances from safe shores. This paper will address the aerodynamics of the drogue refueling system and in particular its characteristics at low speeds, including head and tail winds. Data from wind tunnel experiments are used to show how the docking when refueling is affected by the lower speeds, position behind the supply aircraft and weather conditions. Possibilities of design improvements and implications are related to the task of refueling Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in-flight

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ‘in service’ of Internal Security of the State

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-210
Author(s):  
Renata Włodarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
The State ◽  
Police Academy ◽  
Internal Security ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Native Soil ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Training Courses

The study was created thanks to the author’s preferences to learn increasingly more about new technologies that are able to increase the potential of internal security of the state. Recently, interest in recording areas (difficult to access, dangerous, monitored in adverse weather conditions, monitored due to the implementation of tasks by relevant services), the development of methods enabling the transmission of various materials at a distance, and performing other complicated activities have increased. For this purpose, unmanned aerial vehicles (so-called drones, UAVs) that are versatile in many respects are used. The author noticed the need to disseminate such innovative devices on native soil, especially for using them in multidirectional strengthening of the security sphere. Polish companies producing UAVs for many foreign customers have already marked their presence in this matter. The achievements of the designers are so impressive that it makes us appreciate the development of our technical thought, and above all, the use of drones to ensure security and public order in Poland. A series of training courses is already conducted by the Police Academy in Szczytno, which is a good solution both for teachers and, above all, for the trainees themselves. Such an initiative will undoubtedly translate into increased interest in drones, and especially the incredible usefulness of these devices for uniformed services and other entities.

scholarly journals Spatial resolution of unmanned aerial vehicles acquired imagery as a result of different processing conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-154
Author(s):  
Jaroslav Kubišta ◽  
Peter Surový
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Light Condition ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Flight Speed ◽  
Lighting Conditions ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Flight Height ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Imagery Data

Abstract Increasing availability of Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and different software for processing of UAV imagery data brings new possibilities for on-demand monitoring of environment, making it accessible to broader spectra of professionals with variable expertise in image processing and analysis. This brings also new questions related to imagery quality standards. One of important characteristics of imagery is its spatial resolution as it directly impacts the results of object recognition and further imagery processing. This study aims at identifying relationship between spatial resolution of UAV acquired imagery and variables of imagery acquiring conditions, especially UAV flight height, flight speed and lighting conditions. All of these characteristics has been proved as significantly influencing spatial resolution quality and all subsequent data based on this imagery. Higher flight height as well as flight speed brings lower spatial resolution, whereas better lighting conditions lead to better spatial resolution of imagery. In this article we conducted a study testing various heights, flight speeds and light conditions and tested the impact of these parameters on Ground Resolved Distance (GRD). We proved that from among the variables, height is the most significant factor, second position is speed and finally the light condition. All of these factors could be relevant for instance in implementation of UAV in forestry sector, where imagery data must be often collected in diverse terrain conditions and/or complex stand (especially vertical) structure, as well as different weather conditions.

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