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Techniques for non-invasive sampling of ecophysiological data in wild animals have been developed in response to challenges associated with studying captive animals or using invasive methods. Of these, drones, also known as Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and their associated sensors, have emerged as a promising tool in the ecophysiology toolkit. In this review, we synthesise research in a scoping review on the use of drones for studying wildlife ecophysiology using the PRISMA-SCr checklist and identify where efforts have been focused and where knowledge gaps remain. We use these results to explore current best practices and challenges and provide recommendations for future use. In 136 studies published since 2010, drones aided studies on wild animal body condition and morphometrics, kinematics and biomechanics, bioenergetics, and wildlife health (e.g. microbiomes, endocrinology, and disease) in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Focal taxa are biased towards marine mammals, particularly cetaceans. While conducted globally, research is primarily led by institutions based in North America, Oceania, and Europe. The use of drones to obtain body condition and morphometric data through standard colour sensors and single camera photogrammetry predominates. Techniques such as video tracking and thermal imaging have also allowed insights into other aspects of wildlife ecophysiology, particularly when combined with external sampling techniques such as biologgers. While most studies have used commercially available multirotor platforms and standard colour sensors, the modification of drones to collect samples, and integration with external sampling techniques, have allowed multidisciplinary studies to integrate a suite of remote sensing methods more fully. We outline how technological advances for drones will play a key role in the delivery of both novel and improved wildlife ecophysiological data. We recommend that researchers prepare for the influx of drone-assisted advancements in wildlife ecophysiology through multidisciplinary and cross-institutional collaborations. We describe best practices to diversify across species and environments and use current data sources and technologies for more comprehensive results., (© 2025 The Author(s). Biological Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Cambridge Philosophical Society.)

United States Air Force remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) aircrew and support personnel perform critical missions in support of military operations around the world. The high value placed on the work of these individuals has resulted in increased workload and heightened risk of adverse psychological health outcomes. The impact of this can be detrimental to the health of the individual as well as the success of the RPA mission. To address these concerns, a combat-to-reconstitution policy was developed to provide additional downtime and recovery to RPA personnel, and recently piloted in some units within the RPA community. A total of 397 RPA personnel, of which 26% ( n  = 103) indicated their schedule was either internal or external reconstitution, completed an anonymous occupational health assessment sometime between November 2021 and July 2022. Responses included a mixture of both positive and negative experiences during the implementation of reconstitution, along with recommendations for improvements. Certain reconstitution-related sources of stress (e.g. work overload, lack of resources), were found to increase risk of burnout or psychological distress. Overall, this preliminary study provides a foundational landscape for the scientific and operational understanding of reconstitution as an operational intervention to improve recovery.

Background: Small unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) are replacing or supplementing occupied aircraft and ground-based surveys in animal monitoring due to improved sensors, efficiency, costs, and logistical benefits. Numerous UAS and sensors are available and have been used in various methods. However, justification for selection or methods used are not typically offered in published literature. Furthermore, existing reviews do not adequately cover past and current UAS applications for animal monitoring, nor their associated UAS/sensor characteristics and environmental considerations. We present a systematic map that collects and consolidates evidence pertaining to UAS monitoring of animals., Methods: We investigated the current state of knowledge on UAS applications in terrestrial animal monitoring by using an accurate, comprehensive, and repeatable systematic map approach. We searched relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature, as well as dissertations and theses, using online publication databases, Google Scholar, and by request through a professional network of collaborators and publicly available websites. We used a tiered approach to article exclusion with eligible studies being those that monitor (i.e., identify, count, estimate, etc.) terrestrial vertebrate animals. Extracted metadata concerning UAS, sensors, animals, methodology, and results were recorded in Microsoft Access. We queried and catalogued evidence in the final database to produce tables, figures, and geographic maps to accompany this full narrative review, answering our primary and secondary questions., Review Findings: We found 5539 articles from our literature searches of which 216 were included with extracted metadata categories in our database and narrative review. Studies exhibited exponential growth over time but have levelled off between 2019 and 2021 and were primarily conducted in North America, Australia, and Antarctica. Each metadata category had major clusters and gaps, which are described in the narrative review., Conclusions: Our systematic map provides a useful synthesis of current applications of UAS-animal related studies and identifies major knowledge clusters (well-represented subtopics that are amenable to full synthesis by a systematic review) and gaps (unreported or underrepresented topics that warrant additional primary research) that guide future research directions and UAS applications. The literature for the use of UAS to conduct animal surveys has expanded intensely since its inception in 2006 but is still in its infancy. Since 2015, technological improvements and subsequent cost reductions facilitated widespread research, often to validate UAS technology to survey single species with application of descriptive statistics over limited spatial and temporal scales. Studies since the 2015 expansion have still generally focused on large birds or mammals in open landscapes of 4 countries, but regulations, such as maximum altitude and line-of-sight limitations, remain barriers to improved animal surveys with UAS. Critical knowledge gaps include the lack of (1) best practices for using UAS to conduct standardized surveys in general, (2) best practices to survey whole wildlife communities in delineated areas, and (3) data on factors affecting bias in counting animals from UAS images. Promising advances include the use of thermal sensors in forested environments or nocturnal surveys and the development of automated or semi-automated machine-learning algorithms to accurately detect, identify, and count animals from UAS images., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Simulations are increasingly popular in employee selection and training. While face valid and engaging, the attributes being assessed are often poorly understood. This study evaluated the extent to which a multitasking assessment based on concurrent memorization, math, visual monitoring, and listening tasks predicted simulated unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) mission performance in a military trainee sample ( N = 368). Performance was based on accuracy of mission planning, information recall during "Lost Link" conditions, and success in rescuing stranded allies while monitoring the aircraft's resources. Although scores on the multitasking assessment were only weakly related to performance of pre-flight mission planning tasks completed under static conditions, multitasking was strongly related to overall simulated UAV mission performance, including execution of tasks requiring attending to multiple, dynamic sources of information and shifting attention among concurrent processes and demands. Further, multi-tasking demonstrated substantial incremental validity beyond the traditional measures of cognitive ability that have been used for decades within the US military. Implications, limitations, and recommendations for selection and classification and future research are discussed., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (© 2021 Society for Military Psychology, Division 19 of the American Psychological Association.)

The prevalence and expression of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among United States Air Force remotely piloted aircraft (RPA; commonly referred to as "drones") warfighters exposed to battlefield trauma via remote, electronic warfare is relevant and critical to the effective delivery of mental health care for this population. RPA warfighters (n = 715) with real-time exposure to at least one traumatic event participated in an online survey. Measures included the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and survey of exposure to traumatic events during the course of operational combat missions. A total of 6.15% met PTSD symptom criteria; those in the age ranges of 31-35 and 36-40 and those working 51 or more hours per week had greater odds of meeting symptom criteria. For combat-related events, the number of events in which RPA warfighters witnessed civilian bystanders being killed by enemy forces or felt shared responsibility for the injury or death of bystanders were also significant predictors, regardless of whether the risk was anticipated or unanticipated. The results of this study suggest that specific types of exposure and participation in missions with specific outcomes, albeit via electronic, remote means, are associated with an increased risk for meeting PTSD symptom criteria., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Unmanned aircraft, or drones, are a rapidly emerging sector of the aviation industry. There has been limited substantive research, however, into the public perception and acceptance of drones. This article presents the results from two surveys of the Australian public designed to investigate (1) whether the public perceive drones to be riskier than existing manned aviation, (2) whether the terminology used to describe the technology influences public perception, and (3) what the broader concerns are that may influence public acceptance of the technology. We find that the Australian public currently hold a relatively neutral attitude toward drones. Respondents did not consider the technology to be overly unsafe, risky, beneficial, or threatening. Drones are largely viewed as being of comparable risk to that of existing manned aviation. Furthermore, terminology had a minimal effect on the perception of the risks or acceptability of the technology. The neutral response is likely due to a lack of knowledge about the technology, which was also identified as the most prevalent public concern as opposed to the risks associated with its use. Privacy, military use, and misuse (e.g., terrorism) were also significant public concerns. The results suggest that society is yet to form an opinion of drones. As public knowledge increases, the current position is likely to change. Industry communication and media coverage will likely influence the ultimate position adopted by the public, which can be difficult to change once established., (© 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.)