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Civil and Public Domain Applications of Unmanned Aviation 2025
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Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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Civil and Public Domain Applications of Unmanned Aviation 2025

Abstract submission deadline
31 December 2025
Manuscript submission deadline
31 March 2026
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Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Unmanned systems have witnessed unprecedented levels of growth during the past two decades. Although military applications have dominated the field for years, there has been a major shift to civil and public domain applications in which aerial platforms are used across a wide spectrum of diverse applications in urban and rural areas. This Special Issue focuses on civil and public domain applications and on the societal impact of unmanned aviation and its effect on everyday quality of life. Although the technical challenges cover a wide spectrum of topics, of particular importance are the following:

  • Aerial Manipulation;
  • Morphological Designs of Aerial Robots;
  • Bio-inspired Aerial Robots;
  • UAV Design for Resilience;
  • Multi-mode Unmanned Platforms;
  • Swarms and Multi-UAV systems;
  • Learning-based Perception, Navigation and Control;
  • Efficient, Online Autonomy;
  • Applications of Aerial Robots;
  • Human Factors and Ethical AI for Aerial Robots;
  • Regulations and Policies for Autonomous Operations;
  • Integration into the National Airspace.

Submitted papers will include, but will be not be limited to, extended versions of accepted conference papers in ICUAS 2025, which will be held on 14–17 May 2025 in Charlotte, NC, USA. The maximum percentage of overlap will be 30%. Authors must reference the corresponding conference papers. The extended version of the accepted conference papers in ICUAS 2025 will enjoy a 20% discount on the Article Processing Charge.

Prof. Dr. Kimon P. Valavanis
Dr. Nikolaos Vitzilaios
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • unmanned aviation
  • unmanned aircraft systems
  • resiliency
  • autonomy
  • aerial platforms
  • multirobot teams

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Aerospace
aerospace 		2.2 4.0 2014 20.9 Days CHF 2400 Submit
Drones
drones 		4.8 7.4 2017 20.1 Days CHF 2600 Submit
Electronics
electronics 		2.6 6.1 2012 16.8 Days CHF 2400 Submit
Remote Sensing
remotesensing 		4.1 8.6 2009 24.9 Days CHF 2700 Submit
Sensors
sensors 		3.5 8.2 2001 19.7 Days CHF 2600 Submit
Signals
signals 		2.6 4.6 2020 22.9 Days CHF 1200 Submit

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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25 pages, 9785 KB  
Article
Optimization Design and Flight Validation of Pull-Up Control for Air-Deployed UAVs Based on Improved NSGA-II
by Heng Zhang, Wenyue Meng, Ziang Gao, Guanyu Liu and Jian Zhang
Drones 2025, 9(10), 679; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9100679 - 29 Sep 2025
Viewed by 379
Abstract
During the automatic leveling process of small low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) after airdrop, their state parameters and control surface efficiency undergo drastic changes. It is difficult to achieve good control effects using controllers with fixed parameters. To solve these problems, this study [...] Read more.
During the automatic leveling process of small low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) after airdrop, their state parameters and control surface efficiency undergo drastic changes. It is difficult to achieve good control effects using controllers with fixed parameters. To solve these problems, this study proposes a parameter adaptive PID controller based on indicated airspeed. When tuning the controller parameters, in order to ensure the successful pulling of the UAV and the safety of structure and flight, it is necessary to optimize the success rate of pulling up, normal overload, angle of attack (AOA), airspeed, and descent altitude simultaneously. These five indicators are of different importance to the UAV. To facilitate parameter tuning based on these differences, an improved second-generation non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is proposed, which combines a comprehensive fitness mechanism based on target priority and segmented scoring and an adaptive genetic strategy. In this study, different priorities were set for all indicators, and segmented scores were given based on individual indicators to calculate the comprehensive fitness, which guided the evolutionary direction of the population. Then, while the genetic parameters were modified, elite individuals were retained to balance search ability and convergence. Finally, the effectiveness of this mechanism was confirmed through comparative simulation. The flight test results show significant differences from the simulation results of the controller designed in this study, but the basic trend remains consistent. The controller can effectively suppress the oscillations caused by the initial state. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Civil and Public Domain Applications of Unmanned Aviation 2025)
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29 pages, 9855 KB  
Article
A Method for Orderly and Parallel Planning of Public Route Networks for Logistics Based on Urban Low-Altitude Digital Airspace Environment Risks
by Ouge Feng, Honghai Zhang, Fei Wang, Weibin Tang and Gang Zhong
Drones 2025, 9(9), 634; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9090634 - 9 Sep 2025
Viewed by 421
Abstract
With the rapid development of urban air mobility, achieving safe and segregated flight for unmanned aerial vehicles amid the surging demand for low-altitude logistics has become a critical issue. This paper proposes a method for planning the public route network of urban low-altitude [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of urban air mobility, achieving safe and segregated flight for unmanned aerial vehicles amid the surging demand for low-altitude logistics has become a critical issue. This paper proposes a method for planning the public route network of urban low-altitude terminal logistics while considering environmental risks in the digital airspace. First, based on parallel system theory, we develop a digital airspace environment model that supports public route network planning by mapping physical and social elements to an artificial system. Furthermore, we establish a digital airspace grid partitioning system, develop grid access rules, and create a quantification model for urban low-altitude airspace environmental risks. Utilizing a layered airspace approach, this paper configures approach–departure grids, develops methods for initial public route network planning, and facilitates orderly re-planning of routes, ultimately establishing a hub-and-spoke public route network with segregation. This study conducts detailed case simulation studies based on realistic constraints, focusing on environmental risk, accurate grid configuration, comprehensive cost, algorithm complexity, and network scale. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively constructs conflict-free networks, while maintaining low risks and inflection points. The findings align with the current development stage of urban air mobility characterized by the principle of ‘isolation first, then integration.’ This approach enables a gradual transition from route isolation to future integrated flight, thereby providing technical support for advancing low-altitude logistics operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Civil and Public Domain Applications of Unmanned Aviation 2025)
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