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This paper explores networking issues that arise as a result of the operational requirements of future applications of small unmanned aircraft systems. Small unmanned aircraft systems have the potential to create new applications and markets in civil domains, enable many disruptive technologies, and put considerable stress on air traffic control systems. The operational requirements lead to networking requirements that are mapped to three different conceptual axes that include network connectivity, data delivery, and service discovery. The location of small UAS networking requirements and limitations along these axes has implications on the networking architectures that should be deployed. The delay-tolerant mobile ad-hoc network architecture offers the best option in terms of flexibility, reliability, robustness, and performance compared to other possibilities. This network architecture also provides the opportunity to exploit controlled mobility to improve performance when the network becomes stressed or fractured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of the Volcan Project, whose goal is the realization of an autonomous aerial system able to perform aerial surveillance of volcanic areas and to analyze the composition of gases inside volcanic plumes. There are increasing experimental evidences that measuring the chemical composition of volcanic gases can contribute to forecast volcanic eruptions. However, in situ gas sampling is a difficult operation and often exposes scientists to significant risks. At this aim, an Unmanned Aircraft System equipped with remote sensing technologies, able to sense the plume in the proximity of the crater, has been developed. In this paper, the aerial platform will be presented, together with the problems related to the flight in a hard scenario like the volcanic one and the tests performed with the aim of finding the right configuration for the vehicle. The developed autonomous navigation system and the sensors unit for gas analysis will be introduced; at the end, several experimental results will be described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]