ARS | Publication request: Unmanned aircraft systems

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: April 25, 2012
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Unmanned platforms have become increasingly more common in recent years for acquiring remotely sensed data. These aircraft are referred to as Unmanned Airborne Vehicles (UAV), Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPV), or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), the official term used by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Developed and used extensively by the military for surveillance and reconnaissance, UAVs and associated sensor technology are now increasingly being used for civilian applications, in scientific research, and for environmental monitoring. Examples include rapid surveillance for disaster response, pipeline and utility line monitoring, and aerial mapping for natural resource applications such as fire monitoring, wildlife observations, and vegetation assessments in vineyards, crops, forests, and rangelands. The increased use of UAVs for remote sensing has been driven by the greater availability of UAV platforms, miniaturization of payload sensors and GPS/IMU technology, ability for flexible and repeated deployment and low altitude flights resulting in very high resolution imagery, and relatively low image acquisitions costs compared to piloted aircraft.