Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs): practical aspects, applications, open challenges, security issues, and future trends

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Automation
• Aerospace Engineering
• Computer Science

Background:

• Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, have become integral to various sectors, including economic, commercial, leisure, military, and academic fields.
• Rapid advancements in control, miniaturization, and computerization have led to the development of secure, lightweight, robust, accessible, and cost-efficient UAVs.
• UAVs offer unique advantages such as access to disaster zones, swift mobility, and versatile airborne mission capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of UAV technology, encompassing their characteristics, functionalities, and operational challenges.
• To review different types of UAVs, including drone swarms, and their various classifications.
• To examine current charging methods, regulatory frameworks, application scenarios, and security concerns associated with UAVs.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted to synthesize information on UAVs.
• The study systematically categorizes UAVs, discusses their applications, and analyzes operational limitations.
• Key challenges, security issues, and future research directions are identified through an extensive review of existing research.

Main Results:

• UAVs present significant potential across numerous applications, driven by technological convergence and advancements.
• Critical limitations such as flight autonomy, path planning, battery endurance, and payload capacity hinder widespread operability.
• The review identifies diverse applications, various UAV types and classifications, and current charging methodologies.

Conclusions:

• UAV technology is rapidly evolving, offering substantial benefits but facing persistent operational and technical challenges.
• Addressing limitations in flight autonomy, energy storage, and payload capacity is crucial for unlocking the full potential of drones.
• This research provides valuable insights and identifies future research directions to guide the development and application of UAVs.