Announcements

It is our honor to present the most highly cited papers published by Drones (ISSN: 2504-446X) in 2022 and 2023. We would like to acknowledge the hardworking individuals and teams whose work inspires fellow researchers and influences the field of drone science. We invite you to read the outstanding works listed below.

1. “Towards the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): A Comprehensive Review”
by Syed Agha Hassnain Mohsan, Muhammad Asghar Khan, Fazal Noor, Insaf Ullah and Mohammed H. Alsharif
Drones 2022, 6(6), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6060147
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/6/6/147

2. “A Modified YOLOv8 Detection Network for UAV Aerial Image Recognition”
by Yiting Li, Qingsong Fan, Haisong Huang, Zhenggong Han and Qiang Gu
Drones 2023, 7(5), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7050304
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/5/304

3. “UAV Computing-Assisted Search and Rescue Mission Framework for Disaster and Harsh Environment Mitigation”
by Saeed Hamood Alsamhi, Alexey V. Shvetsov, Santosh Kumar, Svetlana V. Shvetsova, Mohammed A. Alhartomi, Ammar Hawbani, Navin Singh Rajput, Sumit Srivastava, Abdu Saif and Vincent Omollo Nyangaresi
Drones 2022, 6(7), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6070154
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/6/7/154

4. “Task Allocation of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Deep Transfer Reinforcement Learning”
by Yongfeng Yin, Yang Guo, Qingran Su and Zhetao Wang
Drones 2022, 6(8), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6080215
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/6/8/215

5. “Vision-Based Navigation Techniques for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Review and Challenges”
by Muhammad Yeasir Arafat, Muhammad Morshed Alam and Sangman Moh
Drones 2023, 7(2), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7020089
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/2/89

6. “Review of Autonomous Path Planning Algorithms for Mobile Robots”
by Hongwei Qin, Shiliang Shao, Ting Wang, Xiaotian Yu, Yi Jiang and Zonghan Cao
Drones 2023, 7(3), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7030211
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/3/211

7. “A Review on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Remote Sensing: Platforms, Sensors, Data Processing Methods, and Applications”
by Zhengxin Zhang and Lixue Zhu
Drones 2023, 7(6), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7060398
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/6/398

8. “Urban Air Mobility: Systematic Review of Scientific Publications and Regulations for Vertiport Design and Operations”
by Karolin Schweiger and Lukas Preis
Drones 2022, 6(7), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6070179
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/6/7/179

9. “Comprehensive Review of UAV Detection, Security, and Communication Advancements to Prevent Threats”
by Ghulam E. Mustafa Abro, Saiful Azrin B. M. Zulkifli, Rana Javed Masood, Vijanth Sagayan Asirvadam, and Anis Laouiti
Drones 2022, 6(10), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6100284
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/6/10/284

10. “Wireless Communications for Data Security: Efficiency Assessment of Cybersecurity Industry—A Promising Application for UAVs”
by Chia-Nan Wang, Fu-Chiang Yang, Nhut T. M. Vo and Van Thanh Tien Nguyen
Drones 2022, 6(11), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6110363
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/6/11/363

Drones (ISSN: 2504-446X) is an international, peer-reviewed, and open access journal published online monthly by MDPI. The journal focuses on the design and applications of drones, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs), etc. Likewise, contributions based on unmanned marine/water/underwater drones, unmanned ground vehicles, fully autonomous driving, and space drones are also welcome. Drones has been recently accepted for inclusion within Ei Compendex. More information about the journal is available at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/drones.

Drones is pleased to announce this open call for Special Issue proposals. Special Issues offer a group of authors the possibility to work on an interconnected set of papers on an innovative topic. We would like to solicit high-quality proposals that will be evaluated in a competitive procedure on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Proposed Special Issues should have a well-articulated unifying topic and reflect, at an international level, the best work in a particular research area, either a well-established area or an important emerging area, in which future investigations may be boosted by the publication of a set of excellent papers. Hence, an international group of Guest Editors and a few high-quality planned papers are always encouraged in the proposals.

Proposals for Special Issues should be sent to the Editorial Office, who will forward them to the Editors of Drones for evaluation, or should be submitted via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/drones.

Information to be provided in a proposal:

• A 300–500-word summary to explain the significance, novelty, technical advancement, and adherence to the scope of the journal of the proposed topic;
• A few keywords on the topic;
• A plan for obtaining high-quality papers or a list of at least three planned papers;
• A brief resume of the proposed Guest Editors together with their information (title, name, email, affiliation, personal website, keywords of interests);
• A proposed submission deadline (Special Issues normally run for 6–8 months).

As a Guest Editor, you would be responsible for:

• Inviting your peers to submit papers to be published in your Special Issue. These papers will be able to take advantage of the high publicity offered by open access publishing, our rapid and high-quality peer review process, and immediate publication after acceptance;
• Checking the suitability of abstracts/manuscripts submitted to the Special Issue;
• Making pre-check decisions regarding whether to send a new submission to peer review;
• Making final decisions regarding accepting a paper based on peer review outcomes.

As a Guest Editor, you would have the following privileges:

• A certificate of recognition as a Guest Editor of Drones;
• The ability to publish one feature paper in your Special Issue;
• The ability to invite authors to submit high-quality papers to be published in your Special Issue with discounts;
• Travel grant opportunity to attend featured conferences;
• If the Special Issue is successful and features at least 10 manuscripts accepted after full peer review, we can organize it into a printed book and send you a free copy as a gift.

The Editorial Office will take care of setting up the Special Issue website, arrange promotional materials, assist with invitations to contribute papers, and take care of administrative tasks associated with peer review, including inviting reviewers, collating reports, contacting authors, and professional production before publication.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Office if you are interested and would like further details and clarification.

We look forward to receiving your creative proposals here.

Drones Editorial Office

MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are granted to promising young scholars whose PhD theses are deemed exceptional within their respective research fields. These awards aim to encourage young scholars to continue their outstanding accomplishments and further contribute to their field.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 54 winners of the 2023 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success with their future research endeavors.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community. To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects in your field of study, please visit the following pages:

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising early career scientists, acknowledge their contributions, and foster collaboration within the scientific community. We are proud to announce the recipients for 2023, who were carefully selected by the journals’ esteemed Award Evaluation Committee.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 79 winners of MDPI’s 2023 Young Investigator Awards for their excellent contributions in their research field. We look forward to seeing these rising stars continue to contribute to the advancement of science.

MDPI will continue to support and recognize the academic community. To explore details about the awardees by field, please visit the individual pages listed below:

Congratulations to all the winners for their exceptional contributions and dedication to advancing scientific research.

About MDPI Awards:
To support the academic community, particularly young researchers, and to enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help to elevate the profiles of talented individuals who have made outstanding achievements and are making significant contributions to advancements in their respective fields.

To find out more about MDPI awards, please click here.

We are pleased to announce that Drones (ISSN: 2504-446X) has been accepted into Ei Compendex. We take this opportunity to extend our sincerest gratitude to our editors. We also acknowledge that this achievement would not have been possible without the many valuable publications of our authors and the contributions of our dedicated reviewers. We thank you all for your support and hope to receive more contributions from you in the future.

In addition to Ei Compendex, Drones is also indexed within Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), and Inspec, as well as other databases.

Drones is an international, peer reviewed, open access journal published monthly online by MDPI. The journal focuses on the design and application of drones, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs), etc. Further, contributions based on unmanned marine/water/underwater drones, unmanned ground vehicles, fully autonomous driving, and space drones are also welcome to be submitted to our journal.

For more journal statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/drones.

In recent years, the utilization of drones has increased globally, with fresh applications and uses continually emerging. In remote, rural regions, drones have the potential to perform a wide range of tasks, including surveillance via cameras or other sensors; this enables them to act as mobile gateways and provide connectivity or facilitate the transportation of goods to challenging, remote locations. While many of these applications are closely associated with primary sector activities such as agriculture and livestock, their adaptability extends to various other industries and urban areas.

This webinar will present three referent European projects associated with the development of rural areas, and it will use drones as the main thread. The scope of drone utilization in rural regions is extensive, spanning sectors such as agriculture, forestry, livestock, other industrial domains, environmental monitoring, and the assessment of water quality in rivers and lakes. Drones also play a vital role in firefighting efforts and provide assistance to the population, particularly elderly individuals.

We are privileged to feature recognized industry and academic experts who will share their experiences and insights regarding the effective leveraging of these technologies to achieve enhanced results and elevate the productivity of drones. So, whether you are a researcher, applied scientist, commercial drone user, or simply interested in the development of drones, we invite you to join us for this webinar.

Additionally, CHAMELEON, ICAERUS and SPADE are the organizations working with us for this webinar. Kindly find more information about the organizations below:

• CHAMELEON is a Horizon Europe Project that aims to optimize production and identify potential problems in agriculture, livestock, forestry and rural areas. For more information, kindly visit https://chameleon-heu.eu;
• ICAERUS is an EU-funded project that aspires to advance the use of drones in agricultural production, forestry and rural communities. For more information, kindly visit https://icaerus.eu/;
• SPADE is a project funded by the European Union within the Horizon Europe program, with 21 partners from 10 European countries. For more information, kindly visit https://spade-horizon.eu/.

Date: 19 September 2024 at 02.00 p.m. CEST | 8:00 a.m. EDT | 8:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 892 0367 9034
Webinar Announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-26

Register now for free!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available.

Webinar Chairs and Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera (Chair), Cartographic and Land Engineering Department, Higher Polytechnic School of Avila, University of Salamanca, Hornos Caleros, Avila, Spain;
• Prof. Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez (Chair), Department of Mining Technology, Topography and Structures, University of León, Avda. Astorga, Ponferrada, Spain;
• Dr. David Sánchez-Jiménez, Departamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica y del Terreno, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain;
• Dr. Costas T. Davarakis, Nydor System Technologies AE, Athens, Greece;
• Dr. Vasilis Psiroukis, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece;
• Ms. Esther Vera Moreno, Noumena, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 690, Barcelona, Spain.

Relevant Special Issues:

“Aerial and Drone LiDAR Data for Geomorphological Mapping, Landform Extraction and Landscape Evolution”
Guest Editors: Dr. Dario Gioia, Dr. Nicodemo Abate, Dr. Giuseppe Corrado, Dr. Antonio Minervino Amodio and Prof. Marcello Schiattarella
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2024

“UAV Agricultural Management: Recent Advances and Future Prospects”
Guest Editors: Dr. Hamdi Zurqani and Dr. Alessandro Matese
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2024

“Geographic Information Technologies and the New Challenges of Globalization in a Changing Environment”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Ana Nieto Masot, Prof. Dr. Gema Cárdenas and Dr. José A. Gutiérrez Gallego
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024

“Spatial Information for Improved Living Spaces”
Guest Editors: Dr. Ivana Ivánová, Dr. Yongze Song and Prof. Dr. Sisi Zlatanova
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025

Relevant Papers:

“Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Agro-Terrestrial Surveys Comparison for Generating Digital Elevation Surfaces for Irrigation and Precision Grading”
by Richard A. Pickett, John W. Nowlin, Ahmed A. Hashem, Michele L. Reba, Joseph H. Massey and Scott Alsbrook
Drones 2023, 7(11), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7110649
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/11/649

“Recent Advances in Crop Disease Detection Using UAV and Deep Learning Techniques”
by Tej Bahadur Shahi, Cheng-Yuan Xu, Arjun Neupane and William Guo
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(9), 2450; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15092450
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/9/2450

“Review of Remote Sensing Approaches and Soft Computing for Infrastructure Monitoring”
by Aggeliki Kyriou, Vassiliki Mpelogianni, Konstantinos Nikolakopoulos and Peter P. Groumpos
Geomatics 2023, 3(3), 367-392; https://doi.org/10.3390/geomatics3030021
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7418/3/3/21

“Analysis of Landscape Character Assessment and Cultural Ecosystem Services Evaluation Frameworks for Peri-Urban Landscape Planning: A Case Study of Harku Municipality, Estonia”
Fiona Nevzati, Martti Veldi, Mart Külvik and Simon Bell
Land 2023, 12(10), 1825; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101825
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1825

“Assessment of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to LULC Changes Using Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study in the Merbil Wetland of the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India”
by Durlov Lahon, Dhrubajyoti Sahariah, Jatan Debnath, Nityaranjan Nath, Gowhar Meraj, Pankaj Kumar, Shizuka Hashimoto and Majid Farooq
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2023, 12(4), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12040165
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/12/4/165

1. “Vision-Based Navigation Techniques for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Review and Challenges”
by Muhammad Yeasir Arafat, Muhammad Morshed Alam and Sangman Moh
Drones 2023, 7(2), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7020089
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/2/89

2. “An Overview of Drone Applications in the Construction Industry”
by Hee-Wook Choi, Hyung-Jin Kim, Sung-Keun Kim and Wongi S Na
Drones 2023, 7(8), 515; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7080515
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/8/515

3. “A Review on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Remote Sensing: Platforms, Sensors, Data Processing Methods, and Applications”
by Zhengxin Zhang and Lixue Zhu
Drones 2023, 7(6), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7060398
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/6/398

4. “Last-Mile Drone Delivery: Past, Present, and Future”
by Hossein Eskandaripour and Enkhsaikhan Boldsaikhan
Drones 2023, 7(2), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7020077
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/2/77

5. “UAV Formation Trajectory Planning Algorithms: A Review”
by Yunhong Yang, Xingzhong Xiong and Yuehao Yan
Drones 2023, 7(1), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7010062
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/1/62

6. “Path Planning for Autonomous Drones: Challenges and Future Directions”
by Gopi Gugan and Anwar Haque
Drones 2023, 7(3), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7030169
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/3/169

7. “Drone-Aided Delivery Methods, Challenge, and the Future: A Methodological Review”
by Xueping Li, Jose Tupayachi, Aliza Sharmin, Madelaine Martinez Ferguson and Shiwei Lin
Drones 2023, 7(3), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7030191
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/3/191

8. “Cyber4Drone: A Systematic Review of Cyber Security and Forensics in Next-Generation Drones”
by Vikas Sihag, Gaurav Choudhary, Pankaj Choudhary and Nicola Dragoni
Drones 2023, 7(7), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7070430
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/7/430

9. “YOLO-Based UAV Technology: A Review of the Research and Its Applications”
by Chunling Chen, Ziyue Zheng, Tongyu Xu, Shuang Guo, Shuai Feng, Weixiang Yao and Yubin Lan
Drones 2023, 7(3), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7030190
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/3/190

10. “Advances in Detection of Antibiotic Pollutants in Aqueous Media Using Molecular Imprinting Technique—A Review”
by Akinrinade George Ayankojo, Jekaterina Reut, Vu Bao Chau Nguyen, Roman Boroznjak and Vitali Syritski
Biosensors 2022, 12(7), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12070441
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/12/7/441

In order to further enhance the international influence of the journal Drones (ISSN: 2504-446X), promote the academic exchange of young scientists, and support the Editorial Board with additional expertise, Drones is inviting interested and eligible early career researchers to apply for Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB) membership.

A total of 25 Early Career Editorial Board Members will be recruited. These Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB) members will hold the position for two years, with the possibility of renewal for a second term.

Application Eligibility:

• Candidates must have completed their doctorate/Ph.D. degree in the past 10 years (considering exceptions for career interruptions, including medical and family leave);
• There must be evidence of significant research achievements in the design and applications of drones, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs), etc. Likewise, contributions based on unmanned marine/water/underwater drones, unmanned ground vehicles, fully autonomous driving, and space drones;
• Candidates must be willing to dedicate their time to the development of the journal with passion and enthusiasm;
• Candidates must be researchers that are active and engaged in their community (e.g., experienced at presenting at academic conferences or involved in professional organizations).

Benefits of an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

• A certificate of appointment as an Early Career Editorial Board Member will be provided;
• The achievements of Early Career Editorial Board Members are publicized on the journal’s media platforms to improve academic visibility;
• An opportunity to be promoted to Editorial Board Member based on contributions;
• The journal will regularly acknowledge those who participated in the peer-review process on the journal website;
• Opportunities to participate in or host annual meetings and online seminars organized by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board Members.

Responsibilities of an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

• Publicizing and promoting the journal at academic conferences and among peers;
• Selecting high-quality articles and preparing bilingual media content for promotion;
• Reviewing at least four manuscripts per year;
• Providing input on any new initiatives of journal development;
• Inviting submissions from local and world-leading scientists in their respective fields of research.

Applications:
Please fill in the application form here.
Please send the application form and your academic resume to drones@mdpi.com with the subject of “Drones Early Career Editorial Board Application + Name + Institute + Research Expertise”.

Application deadline: 31 March 2025.

Selection Process and Announcement:
The selection process: initial screening of application materials → selection by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members → email notification → issuing a certificate of appointment.

The selection will be made within one month of the application deadline and the results will be announced on the journal website.