Drones | Invitation to Read Editor’s Choice Articles Selected from 2025

We are pleased to share the following 10 Editor's Choice Articles published in Drones (ISSN 2504-446X) in 2025. The full list of Editor’s Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/drones/editors_choice.

1. “A Review of Last-Mile Delivery Optimization: Strategies, Technologies, Drone Integration, and Future Trends”
by Abdullahi Sani Shuaibu, Ashraf Sharif Mahmoud and Tarek Rahil Sheltami
Drones 2025, 9(3), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9030158
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/3/158

2. “Advances in UAV Path Planning: A Comprehensive Review of Methods, Challenges, and Future Directions”
by Wenlong Meng, Xuegang Zhang, Lvzhuoyu Zho, Hangyu Guo and Xin Hu
Drones 2025, 9(5), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9050376
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/5/376

3. “Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs): Current State, Emerging Technologies, and Future Trends”
by Gennaro Ariante and Giuseppe Del Core
Drones 2025, 9(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9010059
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/1/59

4. “AI-Driven UAV and IoT Traffic Optimization: Large Language Models for Congestion and Emission Reduction in Smart Cities”
by Álvaro Moraga, J. de Curtò, I. de Zarzà and Carlos T. Calafate
Drones 2025, 9(4), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9040248
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/4/248

5. “Impact of Drone Disturbances on Wildlife: A Review”
by Saadia Afridi, Lucie Laporte-Devylder, Guy Maalouf, Jenna M. Kline, Samuel G. Penny, Kasper Hlebowicz, Dylan Cawthorne and Ulrik Pagh Schultz Lundquist
Drones 2025, 9(4), 311; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9040311
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/4/311

6. “UAV Detection with Passive Radar: Algorithms, Applications, and Challenges”
by Zhibo Tang, He Ma, Youmin Qu and Xingpeng Mao
Drones 2025, 9(1), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9010076
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/1/76

7. “Real-Time Search and Rescue with Drones: A Deep Learning Approach for Small-Object Detection Based on YOLO”
by Francesco Ciccone and Alessandro Ceruti
Drones 2025, 9(8), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9080514
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/8/514

8. “A Multi-Objective Black-Winged Kite Algorithm for Multi-UAV Cooperative Path Planning”
by Xiukang Liu, Fufu Wang, Yu Liu and Long Li
Drones 2025, 9(2), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9020118
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/2/118

9. “A Multi-Drone System Proof of Concept for Forestry Applications”
by André G. Araújo, Carlos A. P. Pizzino, Micael S. Couceiro and Rui P. Rocha
Drones 2025, 9(2), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9020080
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/2/80

10. “Mechanisms and Control Strategies for Morphing Structures in Quadrotors: A Review and Future Prospects”
by Osman Acar, Eija Honkavaara, Ruxandra Mihaela Botez and Deniz Çınar Bayburt
Drones 2025, 9(9), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9090663
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/9/663