Drones in the Wild

Dear Colleagues,

Thanks to rapid technological developments in wide-ranging fields spanning from instrumentation and sensing, through control and navigation algorithms, all the way to new materials and manufacturing methods, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) research is progressing swiftly. At present, UAVs can be highly sophisticated and are already being used in numerous different sectors. Next to traditional photography and delivery applications, UAVs are increasingly being deployed for tasks such as search and rescue operations, disaster response, damage assessment, etc. Additionally, such vehicles also play an increasingly important role in supporting research efforts in fields such as surveying, mapping, marine biology, climate research or wildlife monitoring.

Many of the applications mentioned require UAVs to operate successfully “in the wild”, that is, in challenging outdoor environments. Environments such as dense forests, mountainous or maritime regions, arctic regions, areas exposed to extreme atmospheric conditions, etc., require a high degree of robustness, safety and versatility. UAVs may need to react reliably to rapidly changing circumstances, navigate with minimal sensing, withstand strong perturbations, maneuver in severely restricted spaces, or operate safely in the vicinity of critical human-built infrastructure or delicate flora and fauna. This Special Issue focuses on the development, evaluation and testing of UAVs capable of operating in challenging, realistic outdoor environments, with a particular emphasis on natural environments. Key research focuses will include the following:

• Operations in cluttered spaces;
• Rapid navigation in unknown spaces;
• Novel, unconventional designs allowing new applications;
• Hybrid and multi-modal drones;
• Energy-efficient design, mission planning and control;
• Swarming and collaborative tasks;
• Highly autonomous mission execution;
• Planning and navigation in complex dynamic environments;
• Vision-based control, minimal sensing;
• Navigation in dim or unlit environments;
• Safe/soft drones that cause no damage;
• Demonstration of new applications.

Prof. Dr. Sophie F. Armanini
Dr. Raphael Zufferey
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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