An Exploratory Investigation of UAS Regulations in Europe and the Impact on Effective Use and Economic Potential

Comparing photogrammetric performances of four user-grade unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is the main aim of this paper. This study investigates what is the more suitable UAS for specific applications considering the required scale factor, such as for architectural, environmental and restoration purposes. Some photogrammetric surveys were conducted in a 5 ha area using a Phantom 4 Adv, Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic Air 2 and Mavic Mini 2. These unmanned aircrafts are commercial systems used mainly by private professionals. Some photogrammetric reconstructions were carried out by varying flight altitude and camera settings of the 4 UAS. Structure-from-motion (SfM) algorithms were applied to the images taken from the UASs. The surveys’ quality was analyzed by comparing the ground targets’ coordinates measured on the field with indirect georeferencing through global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Fifty targets were installed and arranged following a kind of regular grid. For each photogrammetric flight, the boundary conditions were maintained the same, as well as the flight trajectories and the ground control point distribution. Altimetric and planimetric residuals were reported and compared for each photogrammetric survey. Using a regular grid of ground targets, the result obtained from Phantom 4 is one order of magnitude better than the ones obtained from the other UASs. Mavic Mini 2 leads to an error average of about 5 cm. Remembering that the Mavic Mini 2 is an ultralight drone (it does not require a pilot’s license), it could significantly reduce costs compared to all the others.

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“…This paper extends the investigation performed in other publications [37][38][39], bringing under observation two new UAS models.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 80%

A Comparative Analysis of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Low Altitude Photogrammetric Surveys

Mugnai

Tucci

2022

Remote Sensing

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“…Safe UAV navigation is a fundamental aspect that minimises risks to other airspace users, as well as people and property on the ground and the UAVs themselves. Therefore, each country should have clear legal frameworks to regulate UAV planning and operation [27]. Developing effective UAV regulations in Qatar is the essential first step in joining the global efforts initiated by the ICAO [28] to enable the safe and efficient integration of UAVs into the international airspace.…”

Section: Proposed Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Civilian UAV Deployment Framework in Qatar

Al-Dosari

Hunaiti

Balachandran

2023

Drones

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Drone deployment in Qatar has been lagging behind that in other countries due to a wide range of reported challenges. This study developed a framework to address these operational gaps and serve as a roadmap for different stakeholders to enable drone applications for successful, safe, accountable and sustainable development. Moreover, the framework could help overcome key challenges and lay the groundwork for addressing other challenges facing UAV deployment in Qatar, thereby enabling Qatar to join the global efforts in this technological evolution. The framework was based on an analysis of the available data from previous guidelines for UAV operation and the identification of the challenges facing drone deployment in Qatar. The proposed framework was evaluated through interviews with key stakeholders in the Qatari drone steering committee. The outcomes from this evaluation supported the implementation of the framework with minor amendments and are ready to be put into practice by policymakers. In addition, it could be helpful for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and other countries in the region to consider this framework in their efforts to facilitate drone deployment.

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“…Regulations relating to licensing and operations therefore vary significantly across countries, even though a substantial proportion (40 to 85%) of the provisions of legislations governing drone usage is often sourced from the manual of the International Civil Aviation Organization [64]. Even where regulations have been harmonized, as is the case with the European Union (new regulations came into force in January 2021), stakeholders often find them cumbersome due to administrative and bureaucratic complexities in their interpretations [65]. The regulatory field will most likely continue to be characterized by fluidity in the foreseeable future.…”

Section: Legislations On Drone Use Across Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is particularly true when regulatory agencies fear that lives could be at risk. In such circumstances, there is a tendency for broad restrictions which limit adoption and use of drones even for academic research [64,65]. These barriers are sometimes purely financial.…”

Section: Legislations On Drone Use Across Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several studies and reviews have been carried out in this area of regulations governing drone use and the implications of these on the industry. In the last year alone, Alamouri, Lampert [65] provided an overview of recent updates on drone regulations in the European Union and showed how regulations can help and hinder the use of the technology. Similarly, Hodgson and Sella-Villa [68] provide a review of the regulatory regimes in the United States, with particular reference to its application for academic research.…”

Section: Legislations On Drone Use Across Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Use of Drones in the Spatial Social Sciences

Hall

Wahab

2021

Drones

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Drones are increasingly becoming a ubiquitous feature of society. They are being used for a multiplicity of applications for military, leisure, economic, and academic purposes. Their application in academia, especially as social science research tools, has seen a sharp uptake in the last decade. This has been possible due, largely, to significant developments in computerization and miniaturization, which have culminated in safer, cheaper, lighter, and thus more accessible drones for social scientists. Despite their increasingly widespread use, there has not been an adequate reflection on their use in the spatial social sciences. There is need for a deeper reflection on their application in these fields of study. Should the drone even be considered a tool in the toolbox of the social scientist? In which fields is it most relevant? Should it be taught as a course in the social sciences much in the same way that spatially-oriented software packages have become mainstream in institutions of higher learning? What are the ethical implications of its application in spatial social science? This paper is a brief reflection on these questions. We contend that drones are a neutral tool which can be good and evil. They have actual and potentially wide applicability in academia but can be a tool through which breaches in ethics can be occasioned given their unique abilities to capture data from vantage perspectives. Researchers therefore need to be circumspect in how they deploy this powerful tool which is increasingly becoming mainstream in the social sciences.

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An Exploratory Investigation of UAS Regulations in Europe and the Impact on Effective Use and Economic Potential

Cited by 22 publications

References 13 publications

A Comparative Analysis of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Low Altitude Photogrammetric Surveys

A Comparative Analysis of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Low Altitude Photogrammetric Surveys

Civilian UAV Deployment Framework in Qatar

The Use of Drones in the Spatial Social Sciences

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