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The main challenges faced when detecting targets captured by UAVs include small target image size, dense target distribution, and uneven category distribution.In addition, the hardware limitations of UAVs impose constraints on the size and complexity of the model, which may lead to poor detection accuracy of the model. In order to solve these problems, a small target detection method based on the improved YOLOv8 algorithm for UAV viewpoint is proposed. The following improvements are made to the YOLOv8n model. Firstly, a bi-directional feature pyramid network (BiFPN) is introduced to enhance the fusion capability of the features. This improvement leads to better detection of small targets. Secondly, in the head part of the model, the original C2f module is replaced with the C3Ghost module. This change maintains the model's performance while significantly reducing the computational load. Lastly, the detection head adds a channel attention mechanism. This mechanism helps in filtering out unimportant information and enhancing the recognition of key features. The MPDIoU (Minimum Point Distance based IoU) loss function is improved, and the idea of inner-IoU loss function is adopted as a way to improve the model's learning ability for difficult samples. Experimental results on the VisDrone dataset show that the YOLOv8n model with these improvements improves 17.2%, 10.5%, and 16.2% in mean accuracy (mAP), precision (P), and recall (R), respectively, and these improvements significantly improve the performance of small target detection from the UAV viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an Improved Spider Wasp Optimizer (ISWO) to address inaccuracies in calculating the population (N) during iterations of the SWO algorithm. By innovating the population iteration formula and integrating the advantages of Differential Evolution and the Crayfish Optimization Algorithm, along with introducing an opposition-based learning strategy, ISWO accelerates convergence. The adaptive parameters trade-off probability (TR) and crossover probability (Cr) are dynamically updated to balance the exploration and exploitation phases. In each generation, ISWO optimizes individual positions using Lévy flights, DE's mutation, and crossover operations, and COA's adaptive update mechanisms. The OBL strategy is applied every 10 generations to enhance population diversity. As the iterations progress, the population size gradually decreases, ultimately yielding the optimal solution and recording the convergence process. The algorithm's performance is tested using the 2017 test set, modeling a mountainous environment with a Gaussian function model. Under constraint conditions, the objective function is updated to establish a mathematical model for UAV flight. The minimal cost for obstacle-avoiding flight within the specified airspace is obtained using the fitness function, and the flight path is smoothed through cubic spline interpolation. Overall, ISWO generates high-quality, smooth paths with fewer iterations, overcoming premature convergence and the insufficient local search capabilities of traditional genetic algorithms, adapting to complex terrains, and providing an efficient and reliable solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an Improved Lemur Optimization algorithm (ILO), which combines the advantages of the Spider Monkey Optimization algorithm, Simulated Annealing algorithm, and Lemur Optimization algorithm. Through the use of an adaptive nonlinear decrement model, adaptive learning factors, and updated jump rates, the algorithm enhances its global exploration and local exploitation capabilities. A Gaussian function model is used to simulate the mountain environment, and a mathematical model for UAV flight is established based on constraints and objective functions. The fitness function is employed to determine the minimum cost for avoiding obstacles in a designated airspace, and cubic spline interpolation is used to smooth the flight path. The Improved Lemur Optimization algorithm was tested using the CEC2017 benchmark set, assessing its search capability, convergence speed, and accuracy. The simulation results show that ILO generates high-quality, smooth paths with fewer iterations, overcoming the issues of premature convergence and insufficient local search ability in traditional genetic algorithms. It adapts to complex terrain, providing an efficient and reliable solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certification of high-tech products, such as unmanned aircrafts, occupies a sufficient part of time and material resources for developers and manufacturers, which inevitably leads to the slowdown of production output. The article analyzes the methods of certification of unmanned aircrafts existing at the moment in some countries. It also reveals the existing difficulties in obtaining certification and passing tests to obtain it. In order to simplify the testing, the introduction of digital twin technology as a less resource-consuming procedure is proposed. This article can be useful both for developers and manufacturers, and certification centers.

Low-altitude airspace is developing rapidly, but the utilization rate of airspace resources is low. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of the safe operation of the fusion of large UAVs and manned aircraft in the same airspace, this paper analyzes the theoretical calculation of the collision risk of the fusion operation of manned aircraft and UAVs at Feng Ming Airport in Zigong, verifying that while assessing the safety spacing of 10 km in the lateral direction, it further simulates the possibility of calculating the theoretical smaller safety spacing. The study will propose a new theory of error spacing safety margin and improve it according to the traditional Event collision risk model, combining the error spacing safety margin to establish an improved collision model more suitable for the fusion operation of manned and unmanned aircraft and reduce the redundancy of calculation. The error factors affecting manned and unmanned aircraft at Zigong Airport are analyzed, and theoretical calculations are analyzed by combining the actual data of Zigong Airport. Finally, the Monte Carlo simulation method is used to solve the error, substitute the calculation results, and simulate a section of the trajectory of the fusion operation for the reverse argument. The theoretical calculation results show that the collision risk from 10 km to 8 km satisfies the lateral target safety level (TSL) specified by ICAO under both traditional and improved models. The collision risk calculated by the improved model incorporating the error spacing safety margin is smaller, which enhances the safety of the model calculations. The results of the study can provide theoretical references for the fusion operation of manned and unmanned aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation monitoring using unmanned aircraft detection systems can reduce the impact of radioactive element activity and contamination. The design of an early warning system using unmanned aircraft and real-time and visual monitoring is a crucial step towards achieving national security by providing an early warning of the dangers of radioactivity that cannot be measured in the environment and can be a health threat. Unmanned aircraft are equipped with detectors and other supporting devices to obtain data: date, time, coordinates, altitude, radiation value, temperature, humidity, battery status, and pressure. The data is managed in the phpMyAdmin database by adjusting the table structure. The receiving device is equipped with the MIT App Inventor application, which was previously designed. The MIT App Inventor display design was prepared by inserting a user interface with labels, text boxes, layout settings, and connectivity to the IP server. Meanwhile, the programming is saved in the installed XAMPP folder. The information data is then processed to obtain radiation level monitoring results in visual form and integrated with databases and servers. The results of developing this technology not only facilitate data analysis in knowing the location and level of radiation when monitoring the environment or solving problems in affected areas but also pave the way for further advancements in radiation monitoring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face significant challenges when landing on moving targets due to disturbances, such as wind, that affect landing precision. This study develops a system that leverages global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals and UAV visual data to enable real-time precision landings, and incorporates a sliding mode controller (SMC) to mitigate external disturbances throughout the landing process. To this end, a reference-model-based SMC is proposed, which defines reference values for each state to enhance the steadiness and safety of the velocity control system, thereby improving velocity state tracking and accuracy. The stability of the proposed controller is demonstrated using the Lyapunov method and comparing its performance against other controllers, including backstepping, linear-quadratic regulator (LQR), and proportional–integral–derivative (PID). The experimental results reveal a 75% reduction in maximum velocity tracking error and an 80% reduction in maximum landing error with the proposed controller. Finally, extensive real-flight tests confirm the stability and feasibility of the system.

The management of the operation of unmanned aircraft systems and their integration into the common airspace faces various challenges, among which those associated with determining the airspace capacity can also be included. This paper focuses on this challenge and proposes an approach to determine the airspace capacity through the utilization of mathematical modelling, algorithmization, and statistical methods. The constructed model accurately determines airspace capacity, considering factors such as aircraft size, control methods, and potential conflicts resolved at the strategic level of traffic management. Results from simulations demonstrate the model’s validity and effectiveness, highlighting its potential application in planning and evaluating services that are provided to unmanned aircraft.

Today, unmanned aircraft are in great expansion and in the next few decades, everyday life will be unimaginable without their use. In order to ensure their adequate integration into civil air traffic, it is necessary to investigate their safety aspect. In order to adequately investigate the behavior of unmanned aircraft in space, we must first understand their structural characteristics and their performance itself. The paper deals with a literal review of the constructive characteristics of unmanned aerial vehicles. The dominant structure and its performance are shown, i.e. the quadcopter structure of unmanned aircraft. A special aspect is placed on the calculation of thrust, as one of the most important performance parameters of a transport aircraft. The works presented in addition to the theoretical approach of performance calculation, used experimental representation through simulations and real-time flights.

The purpose of this article is to present the results of the investigation regarding the differences of the load spectra of two unmanned fixed-wing aircraft performing photogrammetry missions: X-8 (flying wing) and PW-ZOOM (conventional configuration). The focus was on the analysis of a number of load cycles for various load increments within the range of the operational loads. The load spectra were determined using the acceleration signal recorded in the autopilot logs as an input. This signal was transferred to the chain of local extreme values scaled in the form of discrete load levels, and then the transfer arrays were derived with use of the rainflow counting algorithm. On this basis, the incremental load spectra were determined for each flight. These load spectra were subjected to statistical analyses to determine the load spectra representative of the flight sessions in a few ways between non-conservative (i.e., focused on average load histories) and conservative (i.e., focused on the worst load histories observed during the flight session). Finally, the fatigue life was calculated by having the structural element of the assumed fatigue properties subjected to the load spectra of both airplanes. A large (exceeding one order of magnitude) difference in the number of load cycles for larger load increments in the analyzed load spectra was shown. This difference is related to the different dynamic characteristics of the two aircraft, in particular the gust response. As a result, there is a several-fold difference in fatigue life.

The social potential of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as a greener and faster transportation system in and around urban environments is indisputable. Nevertheless, the success of UAM introduction and its wide use will strongly depend on acceptance by the citizens and future UAM users. The impact on overall quality of life, as a multidimensional concept that encompasses physical health, mental and emotional well-being, economic status, education, and the environment, is becoming a significant issue. This paper aims to describe the performance framework for the assessment of the social and environmental impact of UAM. The specific objectives are to identify the full range of UAM’s impacts on citizens’ quality of life and to propose a set of indicators that enables the quantification and assessment of the identified impacts. Firstly, the main issues (focus areas) were identified, namely, noise, visual pollution, and privacy concerns, followed by access and equity, economic aspect, emissions, public safety, and impact on wildlife. In the next step, for each identified focus area, performance indicators were defined along with the several cross-cutting areas for a geographical, temporal, demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral resolution. The proposed performance framework could enable more efficient mitigation measures and possibly contribute to wider adoption of the UAM operations.

Unmanned aircraft find successful applications across various fields and continue to see increasing demand in numerous sectors. Modern flight control systems empower the creation and programming of unmanned vehicles for a diverse range of tasks.(Research purpose) This study aims to retrospectively analyze the evolution of drone control systems, tracing their development from the early unmanned aerial vehicles to the flight controllers of modern multifunctional drones. (Materials and methods) The study employs the historical-analytical method for data collection and processing. This encompasses a thorough examination of original works by both domestic and foreign authors, including literary references, scientific journal articles, monographs, conference materials, museum exhibitions, photographic archives, and open-access software source code. (Results and discussion) The historical process of unmanned aerial vehicle development has led to the emergence of many types of designs that provide better flight performance and new functions through the creation of flight control systems. Designers integrated worldwide aviation expertise and the latest advancements in science, engineering, and technology to enhance unmanned systems. The miniaturization of flight control systems has facilitated the widespread adoption and application of unmanned aerial vehicle in many domains. The introduction of intelligent flight control modes has ensured a high level of autonomy in drone operations. (Conclusions) In the course of the research into the historical development of control systems for unmanned aerial vehicles, block diagrams illustrating these control systems were created. Additionally, a block diagram was constructed outlining the evolution of these systems, with a periodization of individual stages. The block diagram includes nine stages; with the current emphasis primarily directed towards the advancement of intelligent control systems. The findings confirm that the extensive diversification of unmanned aerial vehicle applications and functionalities is closely linked to the continuous development and enhancement of micro-electromechanical systems technologies. The study identifies the key flight controllers that have significantly influenced the enhancement of unmanned aircraft and have outlined potential directions for the future development of flight controllers.

War has always been the greatest challenge for armed forces and soldiers. The modern warfare, through its forms and new technologies, challenges the training of leaders and military structures at higher levels, able to operate in all conditions and with all forms and super-technological systems encountered in the modern theatre of war. Contemporary dangers, threats and risks force the decision-making structures to identify solutions to combat them, in line with their level of technology and the field in which they propagate. Modern warfare challenges leaders, commanders, and staff officers of planning, command, and control structures to identify ways to maximize the combined effects of manoeuvre and firepower and to synchronize military actions in the tactical field with the characteristics of modern technologies and with the established strategic objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aspects relating to unmanned aircraft and their target acquisition systems are continuously being developed. The subject of the study is a target acquisition system with a thermal camera. A control system is presented consisting of three subsystems. Open- and closed-loop control systems are used. Experimental results unambiguously show that this is a promising line of research and form the basis for further efforts on the topic.

In recent years, Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) usage in the medical sector as an alternative to traditional means of goods transport has grown significantly. Even though the reduced response time achieved with UASs can be lifesaving in critical situations, their usage must comply with technological constraints such as range, speed and capacity, while minimizing potential risks. In this paper, the feasibility of a drone operation dedicated to the transport of blood samples in an urban area is studied through a safety risk analysis. The assessment utilizes the Specific Operation Risk Assessment (SORA) framework, in line with current European regulations, and extends it to define flight trajectories with minimal risk. A case study in the Helsinki urban area is used as a reference, with an exemplary case of commercial drone transportation of blood samples between the Töölö and Malmi Hospitals. By leveraging the drone performance capabilities and minimizing the risk for people on the ground, this approach demonstrates that medical delivery using drones in densely populated urban environments remains challenging. Nonetheless, it argues that the proposed method can enhance risk awareness and support the planning of feasible operations.

With the development of UAV technology, UAVs have the advantages of convenience, speed, and small size. However, when faced with a complex task environment, some traditional artificial intelligence algorithms will significantly increase computation time, and the algorithms that perform better in time performance often fail to adapt to the type and number of random tasks to be assigned. In this paper, we combine the Hungarian algorithm with improving the LightGBM model, simulate the implementation in various task scenarios, and verify that the improved LightGBM model completes the intelligent assignment of multiple UAVs without increasing time cost compared to the classical algorithm through comparative analysis. It is shown that the improved LightGBM model has an average time of 26.39s for 10 runs, which is higher than 16.91s for NSGA-II and 14.73s for PESA, but lower than 46.92s for SPEA2 and 50.01s for SPGA2. For a non-real-time assignment system, a better mission intelligence assignment at a certain time cost scheme is more in line with the system’s performance requirements. Therefore, the improved LightGBM model in this paper can obtain better solutions than the other four algorithms in solving the multi-objective multi-UAV task intelligence assignment problem, and the solution set coverage is larger than several other algorithms. This indicates that the algorithm studied in this paper is feasible in solving the multi-objective multi-UAV task intelligence assignment problem, and it also has some reference significance for solving the multi-objective problem and improving the coverage of the multi-objective solution set.

This paper represents a continuation of the ongoing research of authors who, in the framework of interdisciplinary scientific research, deals with several aspects of ensuring the safety of the Slovak Republic and the European Union in connection with aviation, aircraft, air traffic and airspace protection. In their current research, following these and constant developments in the field of innovation and introduction of new technologies in the field of aviation, the authors deal with unmanned aircraft, which are gradually used not only in the military, but are increasingly penetrating the commercial sphere of civil aviation. Due to the fact, that the unmanned aircraft market is the fastest growing market of all categories of aviation, the authors in the article provide a theoretical and terminological view of the researched issues, including a brief historical view of the development of unmanned aircraft.

Safety reporting has long been recognised as critical to reducing safety occurrences by identifying issues early enough that they can be remedied before an adverse outcome. This study examines safety occurrence reporting amongst a sample of 92 New Zealand civilian uncrewed aircraft users. An online survey was created to obtain the types of occurrences that these users have had, how (if at all) these are reported, and why participants did or did not report using particular systems. This study focussed on seven types of occurrences that have been highlighted by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand as being reportable using a CA005RPAS form, the template for reporting to the authority for uncrewed aircraft occurrences. The number of each type of occurrence was recorded, as well as what percentage of occurrences were reported using a CA005RPAS form, an internal reporting system, or were non-reported. Qualitative questions were used to understand why participants did or did not report using particular systems. Categorical and numerical data were analysed using Chi-Squared Tests of Independence, Kruskal–Wallis H Tests, and Mann–Whitney U Tests. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that 85.72% of reportable safety occurrences went unreported by pilots, with only 2.74% of occurrences being self-reported by pilots using a CA005RPAS form. The biggest reason for non-reporting was that the user did not perceive the occurrence as serious enough, with not being aware of reporting systems and not being legally required to report also being major themes. Significant differences were observed between user groups, providing policy implications to improve safety occurrence reporting, such as making reporting compulsory, setting minimum training standards, having an anonymous and non-punitive reporting system, and through working with member-based organisations.

Nowadays, there have been various fields of human life and economic activity used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) based on them. The capabilities of modern UAVs allow them to become participants in air traffic, which implies regulation of their creation and use by the state. However, regarding rapidly developing technologies, state regulators do not always keep pace with transforming realities in their decisions, both in the Russian Federation and in other countries of the world. The paper considers state regulation issues of the UAS development, their certification, registration, operation, as well as ensuring the safety of use in Russia and abroad in order to assess the possibilities for further development of legislation to achieve a compromise between the needs of the state, private business and citizens in this field.

Unmanned aircraft/drones are increasingly present in everyday life, from flight demonstrations, event filming, mapping, and agricultural use to delivering goods or, in the future, transporting people. Uncrewed aircraft systems have also been deployed throughout the military services, from handheld micro-UA (Unmanned Aircraft) to medium-sized tactical systems and to large uncrewed aircraft. The multitude of terms used to identify a particular type of aircraft can be confusing and therefore clarification is needed on how to use them, while at the same time considering gender equality and fairness in language.

Whirl flutter is a phenomenon caused by an aeroelastic instability, causing oscillations to propagate in manned or unmanned rotor-nacelle type aircraft. Under the conditions where multi-segmented freeplay are present, complex behaviors can dominate these oscillations and can lead to disastrous consequences. This study investigates a rotor-nacelle system with multi-segmented stiffnesses with a freeplay gap to encompass the real-world influences of aircraft. The mathematical aerodynamics model considers a quasi-steady application of strip theory along each blade to outline the external forces being applied. A free-body diagram is then used to incorporate the structural stiffness and damping terms with multi-segmented freeplay considered in the structural stiffness matrix. Multiple structural responses of the defined system are investigated and characterized to determine the influence of varying symmetric and asymmetric multi-segmented stiffnesses with varying gap parameters, including a route to impact investigation. The findings are characterized using phase portraits, Poincaré maps, time histories, and basins of attraction. It is found that under these conditions, the structural influences can lead to aperiodic oscillations with the existence of grazing bifurcations. Furthermore, these results unveil that under certain conditions and high freestream velocities, the sticking phenomenon becomes apparent which is strongly dependent on the strength of the multi-segmented representation, its gap sizes, and its symmetry. Lastly, a route to impact study shows the strong coupled influence between pitch and yaw when asymmetric conditions are applied and the possible presence of grazing-sliding bifurcations. The numerical simulations performed in this study can form a basis for drone designers to create reliable rotor-nacelle systems resistant to whirl flutter caused by freeplay effects.

This paper represents a continuation of the ongoing research of authors who, in the framework of interdisciplinary scientific research, deals with several aspects of ensuring the safety of the Slovak Republic and the European Union in connection with aviation, aircraft, air traffic and airspace protection. In their current research, following these and constant developments in the field of innovation and introduction of new technologies in the field of aviation, the authors deal with unmanned aircraft, which are gradually used not only in the military, but are increasingly penetrating the commercial sphere of civil aviation. Due to the fact that the unmanned aircraft market is the fastest growing market of all categories of aviation, the authors in the article provide a theoretical and terminological view of the researched issues, including a brief historical view of the development of unmanned aircraft.

Copyright of Problems of Mechatronics. Armament, Aviation, Safety Engineering / Problemy Mechatroniki. Uzbrojenie, lotnictwo, Inżynieria Bezpieczeństwa is the property of Index Copernicus International and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the expanding electrification in all sectors of transport, it is necessary to look for new efficient solutions for propulsion systems for use in air transport. One of the approaches can be the use of electric ducted fans (EDFs), especially in, but not limited to, the case of unmanned aerial vehicles with vertical takeoff and landing. This concept has been known for several decades but has been used very little and therefore has been almost unexplored. This opens up opportunities for investigating the performance characteristics, electrical consumption or efficient thrust vectoring of EDFs with respect to their design and operational use. The presented study therefore deals with the influence of the EDF design change on its performance characteristics. These design changes mainly concerned the geometry of the cowling, i.e., reduction and increase of outlet cross section, and arrangement of fans, i.e., one- and two-rotor specification. The comparison was based on measuring of vertical thrust and power consumption during static testing. The results showed that the increasing outlet is the most suitable construction for the generation of vertical thrust during static testing, considering the specifically used EDF construction arrangement. Based on the findings, it can also be concluded that EDFs are a suitable option for use in unmanned aircraft as a competition to other propulsion systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety reporting has long been recognised as critical to reducing safety occurrences by identifying issues early enough that they can be remedied before an adverse outcome. This study examines safety occurrence reporting amongst a sample of 92 New Zealand civilian uncrewed aircraft users. An online survey was created to obtain the types of occurrences that these users have had, how (if at all) these are reported, and why participants did or did not report using particular systems. This study focussed on seven types of occurrences that have been highlighted by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand as being reportable using a CA005RPAS form, the template for reporting to the authority for uncrewed aircraft occurrences. The number of each type of occurrence was recorded, as well as what percentage of occurrences were reported using a CA005RPAS form, an internal reporting system, or were non-reported. Qualitative questions were used to understand why participants did or did not report using particular systems. Categorical and numerical data were analysed using Chi-Squared Tests of Independence, Kruskal–Wallis H Tests, and Mann–Whitney U Tests. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that 85.72% of reportable safety occurrences went unreported by pilots, with only 2.74% of occurrences being self-reported by pilots using a CA005RPAS form. The biggest reason for non-reporting was that the user did not perceive the occurrence as serious enough, with not being aware of reporting systems and not being legally required to report also being major themes. Significant differences were observed between user groups, providing policy implications to improve safety occurrence reporting, such as making reporting compulsory, setting minimum training standards, having an anonymous and non-punitive reporting system, and through working with member-based organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the risk quantification for Unmanned Aircraft (UA) in urban environments, focusing on the safety of ground people. An assessment methodology is proposed to quantify the flying risk, which indicates the ground fatalities resulted from different potential risk sources. With the knowledge of UA's specifications and ground environments, the flying risk of the target UA flying in the target area could be evaluated from the combination of results from independent assessment procedures focusing on multiple potential risk sources with specific safety metrics. A study case to assess the flying risk of the Talon and the DJI Inspire 2 flying in one piece of the region in Chengdu is presented. From the assessment result, the airspace management strategies for both Talon and DJI Inspires 2 could be easily developed to guarantee the safety of ground people, therefore, this risk quantification method could be a general tool to support decision-making in safety work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The increasing number of incidents involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) makes their detection in the aerodrome area an important task, which can be solved by specialized surveillance means. However, the application of such means requires certification procedures confirming the effectiveness and safety of their use. Therefore, in the short term, it seems reasonable to use standard technologies. In the approach sector, this task can be solved by precision approach radar systems. The small radar cross-section (RCS) of UAVs leads to a decrease in the maximum range and the appearance of blind spots, within which the vehicle cannot be detected.Aim. Analysis of the possibility of detecting UAVs using a precision approach radar, assessing the maximum detection range, blind spots and developing recommendations for their reduction.Materials and methods. An analytical method was used for determining the maximum detection range for a precision approach radar, taking into account UAV characteristics. A method for estimating the detection range of a low-flying target, taking into account the influence of the underlying surface, was also used.Results. Using the example of the precision approach radar RP-5G, the maximum detection ranges were determined, which amounted to 380, 2730, 4480 and 14350 m for UAVs with an RCS of 0.01, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.5 m2, respectively. The length of the blind spots of the RP-5G was 4620, 2270, 1019 m for UAVs with an RCS of 0.01, 0.05, 0.1 m2, respectively. Under the vehicle RCS of 0.5 m2 and greater, no blind spots are observed.Conclusion. Analytical expressions for calculating the maximum detection range and blind spots were obtained. The results can be used when assessing specific features of UAV observation in the aerodrome area (landing sector). Standard precision approach radar systems can be used when surveying UAVs with an RCS greater than 0.5 m2. For UAVs with an RCS of 0.1...0.5 m2, modernized precision approach radar systems with an increased probing pulse energy should be implemented.

District heating systems offer means to transport heat to end-energy users through underground pipelines. When leakages occur, a lack of reliable monitoring makes pinpointing their locations a difficult and costly task for network operators. In recent years, aerial thermography has emerged as a means to find leakages as hot-spots, with several papers proposing image analysis algorithms for their detection. While all publications boast high performance metrics, the methods are constructed around very different datasets, making a true comparison impossible. Using a new set of aerial thermal images from two German cities, this paper implements, improves, and evaluates three anomaly detection methods for leakage detection: triangle-histogram-thresholding, saliency mapping, and local thresholding with filter kernels. The approaches are integrated into a software pipeline with globally applicable pre- and postprocessing, including vignetting correction. While all methods reliably detect thermal anomalies and are suitable for automated leakage detection, triangle-histogram-thresholding is the most robust. • Processing pipeline for automatic leakage detection in airborne thermal imagery. • Implementation, enhancement, and evaluation of three anomaly detection methods. • Grid search for parameter definition of best algorithm variants. • Triangle-histogram-thresholding most robust method for thermal anomaly detection. • Preprocessing such as vignetting correction has significant performance impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research work consists in determining the relations arising in public relations by differentiating the legal norms reflected in the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan during the analysis of measures taken to protect public order when launching unmanned aerial vehicles. One of the necessary problems is to identify actions that harm the lives of people, citizens and the state on the basis of events taking place in modern public life. Due to the insufficiency of regulatory norms in regulatory legal acts regu-lating the rights and freedoms of man and citizens, the study suggests measures to improve the current legislation.The shortcomings and gaps in the legal regulation of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (using the example of quadrocopters, drones) used for operational photo and video filming of site inspection on the example of incidents in the internal affairs bodies are revealed. Possible difficulties of their use in the airspace near airports and other strategically important facilities have been identified.Therefore, when writing a research paper, general and special methods and techniques were used. The offense, which is an encroachment on privacy, is currently multiple in nature through video recording.

This paper represents a continuation of the ongoing research of authors who, in the framework of interdisciplinary scientific research, deals with several aspects of ensuring the safety of the Slovak Republic and the European Union in connection with aviation, aircraft, air traffic and airspace protection. In their current research, following these and constant developments in the field of innovation and introduction of new technologies in the field of aviation, the authors deal with unmanned aircraft, which are gradually used not only in the military, but are increasingly penetrating the commercial sphere of civil aviation. Due to the fact, that the unmanned aircraft market is the fastest growing market of all categories of aviation, the authors in the article provide a theoretical and terminological view of the researched issues, including a brief historical view of the development of unmanned aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Soil & Water Conservation is the property of Bulletin of Soil & Water Conservation Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article solves the problem of more efficient and economical training of combat crews on short range air defense systems. The training so far is based on the use of conventional means, which require engagement of a large number of people, expensive equipment, long-term planning and spending a lot of time and space. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles - drones, greatly saves all these resources. Our mathematical model, using the methods of multicriteria decision-making - Analytical Hierarchical Processes (AHP) and optimization - The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), determines the weighting coefficients and then ranks alternatives or, the ranking for drone selection, which would replace classical means for training and co- aching so meeting all parameters and characteristics of the training itself and the training equipment. The methods first prioritize the selection criteria, and then, based on their importance, concretize the solution among the offered alternatives.

This study examines the public-facing statements that can be found on airport websites related to aerial drones. Data were extracted via manual web scraping from 288 different airports’ official websites across 69 different countries. To be selected, airports had to be one of the 100 busiest airports in terms of passenger numbers in 2017, and (or) be one of the IATA slot coordinated and facilitated airports as of 10 November 2020. Manual web scraping was completed by using Google site searches for the keywords “unmanned”, “drone”, and “remotely piloted”. Phrases, sentences, and paragraphs containing these keywords were collated for each airport and then thematic analysis was undertaken to identify themes within the data. Surprisingly, this study finds that 143 (49.65%) of the airports have no mention of the keywords on their websites. For those that did have statements, thematic analysis revealed 20 themes, of which the largest three were regulation, ensuring compliance, and enforcement (38.54%, 29.17%, and 25.35% of airports, respectively). There were significant differences in the number of statements overall and within specific themes based upon airport location; however, there were no statistically significant differences based upon how many passengers the airport handles.

Background. The relevance of the work is due to the medical sorting of victims in emergency situations, providing them with medical assistance directly in the emergency zone, their medical evacuation in conditions of time shortage accompanying rescue operations, as well as the risks that rescuers and doctors are exposed to when rescuing victims. The aim of the work is to develop an information management medical system for remote correction of the health status of the victim in emergency situations. Materials and methods. An approach to the construction of an information management medical system for remote correction of the health status of victims in emergency situations is presented. Results. The scheme of construction is presented and the main elements of the proposed information management medical system are presented. The purpose and functionality of the unmanned aircraft included in the system are presented. An approach is described to the advance preparation of medical institutions for the placement and provision of medical care to the victims delivered to them through information exchange with the service for optimizing therapeutic and diagnostic medical care under the control of the server of the proposed system. Conclusions. The use of the proposed information and control medical system for remote correction of the health status of victims in emergency situations allows to reduce the time allotted for the provision of medical care and evacuation of victims, as well as to carry out these measures with minimal involvement of doctors and rescuers in the area of rescue operations.

An autonomous navigation method based on the fusion of INS (inertial navigation system) measurements with the line-of-sight (LOS) observations of space targets is presented for unmanned aircrafts. INS/GNSS (global navigation satellite system) integration is the conventional approach to achieving the long-term and high-precision navigation of unmanned aircrafts. However, the performance of INS/GNSS integrated navigation may be degraded gradually in a GNSS-denied environment. INS/CNS (celestial navigation system) integrated navigation has been developed as a supplement to the GNSS. A limitation of traditional INS/CNS integrated navigation is that the CNS is not efficient in suppressing the position error of the INS. To solve the abovementioned problems, we studied a novel integrated navigation method, where the position, velocity and attitude errors of the INS were corrected using a star camera mounted on the aircraft in order to observe the space targets whose absolute positions were available. Additionally, a QLEKF (Q-learning extended Kalman filter) is designed for the performance enhancement of the integrated navigation system. The effectiveness of the presented autonomous navigation method based on the star camera and the IMU (inertial measurement unit) is demonstrated via CRLB (Cramer–Rao lower bounds) analysis and numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aircraft vehicles (or “UAVs”) have became a symbol of modernity and development of aviation, both in its civil and military sector. Stronger connection of UAVs with air industry means not only many advantages for air travellers and military forces, but also potential involvement in terrorism. Unmanned aircraft serving civil air transport can become target of terrorist attack. On the other hand, such a device can also be used as a handful weapon in fight against terrorism. The aim of hereby article is to study both such aspects of usage of UAVs from legal perspective in order to answer a question whether provisions of international law currently being in force accurately reflect the reality of fight against terrorism. For that purpose, applied is research based on a method of analysis of relevant legal acts (conventions forming Tokyo-Hague-Montreal-Beijing system and documents related to international humanitarian law) and critical commentary thereto, enriched with practical review of real and current cases involving unmanned aircraft vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This paper focuses on new knowledge obtained from the first-ever flight-tested vertical take-off and landing turboelectric unmanned aircraft, providing initial data and guidance for future hybrid gas-electric, manned, and unmanned aircraft. This paper evaluates the performance and practical challenges associated with fabricating and flight testing an unmanned aircraft powered by a turboelectric system based on a 7 kW turbine engine. Emerging hybrid gas-electric aircraft concepts have been the subject of numerous design studies and analytical evaluations; however, there is a critical need to identify and assess practical issues associated with integrating a hybrid turboelectric power system into an aircraft. The purpose of this study, relevant to emerging hybrid-powered aircraft, is to evaluate and retrofit a prototype turboelectric power system to an existing 391 N gross take-off weight unmanned airframe. The representative 7 kW turboelectric system was installed to identify challenges and to formulate data-driven recommendations for general application to urban air mobility. This work addresses performance, power and thermal management, vibration, and acoustic emissions. Results include a weight breakdown with the turboelectric system making up 21% of the total aircraft weight, in-flight voltage and current measurements with maximum loads observed during a dive pull-out, temperature measurements, accelerometer measurements, and far field sound pressure level measurements. Practical recommendations from this study are applicable to power system reliability, electronic component selection, cooling requirements, and peak power behavior, informing the design of future hybrid gas–electric aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents a continuation of the ongoing research of authors who, in the framework of interdisciplinary scientific research, deals with several aspects of ensuring the safety of the Slovak Republic and the European Union in connection with aviation, aircraft, air traffic and airspace protection. In their current research, following these and constant developments in the field of innovation and introduction of new technologies in the field of aviation, the authors deal with unmanned aircraft, which are gradually used not only in the military, but are increasingly penetrating the commercial sphere of civil aviation. Due to the fact that the unmanned aircraft market is the fastest growing market of all categories of aviation, the authors in the article provide a theoretical and terminological view of the researched issues, including a brief historical view of the development of unmanned aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the limitation imposed by hardware and form factor considerations, multirotor unmanned aircraft (drones) are unable to conduct preflight physical checks on their own capacity. Critical safety checks involve detecting various anomalies such as imbalanced payload, damaged propellers, mulfunctioning motors and poorly calibrated compass, etc. Human efforts are currently required for performing such tasks, which impedes large-scale deployments of drones and increases the operational costs. In this work, we propose a weight-measuring landing platform along with a set of statistical inference algorithms aimed at performing safety checks for any multicopter aircraft that lands on the platform. We develop a nonconvex nonlinear least squares model for estimating the center of gravity and orientation of the aircraft, and derive a recursive formula for calculating the optimal solution. In numeric experiments, our analytical solution method has been able to find the global solution orders-of-magnitude faster than a global optimization solver. We have conducted real-system tests on a quadcopter drone deliberately configured to carry misplaced payload, and to use damaged propellers. Experiment results show that the platform is able to detect and profile these common safety issues with high accuracy.

The problem of creating a system for simulating the flight of an unmanned aircraft or remotely piloted aircraft system between buildings is solved, which uses multi-mode flight control by dividing the trajectory of the unmanned aircraft into several sections. The boundaries of each section are presented in the form of additional intermediate points of the route. The developed system is used to visualize the flight of an unmanned aircraft. The problem statement for the system of bypassing polygonal obstacles is formulated. The simulation of the training flight trajectory of a remotely piloted aircraft system or unmanned aircraft between two specified destinations with the avoidance of obstacles of different sizes is considered, taking into account that the number of movements in real time should be minimized. An algorithm for controlling the flight of an unmanned aircraft along a given trajectory from one point to another has been developed. It is proposed to divide the given trajectory into several smaller parts and determine the boundaries of these newly created parts in the form of coordinates of destinations. An algorithm and a block diagram of the algorithm for bypassing obstacles of different sizes have been developed. Simulations are performed and experimental results are given. The proposed method is designed to implement movement on a given trajectory with a given speed and power required to transmit information. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the algorithm for modeling the flight path, its re-planning when detecting obstacles of various shapes.

In order to solve the set of acute problems and for transition to sustainable development of hunting economy of Russia it is necessary to increase the accuracy and objectivity of data on number of hunting animals. Existing methods of accounting are based on direct recounting or analysis of certain indirect evidence of their vital activity, and are mainly developed during the Soviet period of development of hunting science, i.e. are irrelevant. In this research, a descriptive analysis of existing (traditional) methods of accounting for hunting animals (aviation, ground accounting) was carried out. The results of the study have revealed the main advantages and limitations of traditional methods. Restrictions are most often associated with both "human factor"and theoretically and methodologically outdated databases. In order to eliminate existing shortcomings, fundamental innovations in the accounting of hunting animals are necessary. In current conditions, these are primarily digital technologies. The review deals with digital modifications to the main accounting methods, including the use of GPS systems, the use of camera traps and the equipping of aircraft with cameras. The method of improving standard air accounting has become one of the most demanded digital methods of accounting for hunting animals. Thus, the expensive traditional aviation has been replaced by unmanned aerial vehicles (aircraft-type drones, quadrocopters), which have lower flight costs and lack shortcomings of standard aircraft accounting (restriction of human eye viewing, unsuitable weather conditions, biological features of animals, etc.). These new improved methods allow to study hunting grounds and obtain reliable information on the state of forest resources.

The article analyzes the activities of the Commonwealth of Independent States as an organization of regional security. Despite the fact that after the collapse of the Soviet Union about 30 years have passed, the ruling elites of the New Independent States continue to search for their own vectors of foreign and defense policy. The author believes that in the pursuit of the many attributes of independence, these elites still have not defined clear boundaries for themselves where they can sacrifice national sovereignty for the benefit of their own development, but in close cooperation with their neighbors. The CIS, as an umbrella association of the post-Soviet republics, continues to be a platform for dialogue between the leaders of the new generation, not connected by the Soviet past. Their foreign policy is dominated by pragmatism and multivectorness. Therefore, the absence of a rigid managerial dominance in the Commonwealth is for them the key to the success of this regional format. It seems that this means that, using the CIS as a convenient and non-binding stage for communication, the participating states will continue to search for themselves the most profitable areas of cooperation, even if through trial and error. In such a context, the main areas of cooperation will remain the fight against terrorism and organized crime, as well as the use of Russian experience in reflecting new challenges and threats.

Background. The object of the study is the design and configuration control of a manipulator mounted on an unmanned aircraft and designed to carry out individual rescue operations. The purpose of the work is to solve the problem of manipulator configuration management taking into account its design. Materials and methods. The task is reduced to solving direct and inverse kinematics problems. The apparatus of homogeneous transformation matrices and the description of generalized characteristics of the manipulator configuration represented by Denavit-Hartenberg parameters are used. Results. The direct kinematics problem for the manipulator under consideration is solved, including by the method of a recursive algorithm. An algorithm for manipulator configuration control by solving the inverse kinematics problem is proposed. Conclusions. The methods used to solve the problem of manipulator configuration management allow using a manipulator of the proposed design mounted on an unmanned aircraft to carry out rescue operations. The proposed algorithm for manipulator configuration control, which consists in determining the generalized characteristics of the final effector, then determining the generalized characteristics for its parent segments, setting the orientation and position in space of the intermediate effector (in particular, the arm rotation segment of the manipulator) and its parent segments with further setting the orientation and position of its child segments (including the working end of the manipulator), allows you to build the manipulator segments in an optimal configuration, taking into account the conditions of a rescue operation (such as the presence of obstacles in the work area, the orientation and position of the object over which the operation is performed).

Autonomous landing is a fundamental aspect of drone operations which is being focused upon by the industry, with ever-increasing demands on safety. As the drones are likely to become indispensable vehicles in near future, they are expected to succeed in automatically recognizing a landing spot from the nearby points, maneuvering toward it, and ultimately, performing a safe landing. Accordingly, this paper investigates the idea of vision-based location detection on the ground for an automated emergency response system which can continuously monitor the environment and spot safe places when needed. A convolutional neural network which learns from image-based feature representation at multiple scales is introduced. The model takes the ground images, assign significance to various aspects in them and recognize the landing spots. The results provided support for the model, with accurate classification of ground image according to their visual content. They also demonstrate the feasibility of computationally inexpensive implementation of the model on a small computer that can be easily embedded on a drone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper introduces a kinodynamic motion planning algorithm for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), called MP-RRT#. MP-RRT# joins the potentialities of RRT# with a strategy based on Model Predictive Control to efficiently solve motion planning problems under differential constraints. Similar to other RRT-based algorithms, MP-RRT# explores the map constructing an asymptotically optimal graph. In each iteration the graph is extended with a new vertex in the reference state of the UAS. Then, a forward simulation is performed using a Model Predictive Control strategy to evaluate the motion between two adjacent vertices, and a trajectory in the state space is computed. As a result, the MP-RRT# algorithm eventually generates a feasible trajectory for the UAS satisfying dynamic constraints. Simulation results obtained with a simulated drone controlled with the PX4 autopilot corroborate the validity of the MP-RRT# approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The object of the study is to ensure the safety of the flight of unmanned aircraft as part of a heterogeneous group in the emergency zone, designed for the localization and elimination of emergency situations. The subject of the study is the proposed zones, or areas of security, which are built in a basic coordinate system, the beginning of which is tied to a certain point in the emergency zone, around each unmanned aircraft or potentially dangerous object. The purpose of the work is to develop a concept of application (and recommendations for use), including the construction of zones or security areas around each unmanned aircraft and potentially dangerous objects, taking into account the relative position of these zones or security areas, the intersection of which is unacceptable during the flight of an unmanned aircraft, thereby ensuring the protection of an unmanned aircraft from collision with obstacles. Materials and methods. To describe the process of transition from local coordinate systems associated with a specific unmanned aircraft to the base coordinate system, homogeneous transformation matrices are used. The concept of security spheres, as well as adaptive security spheres, dynamic radii of adaptive security spheres is introduced. Results. An approach to ensuring the protection of unmanned aircraft moving as part of a heterogeneous group in an emergency zone from collisions with obstacles, including each other, is proposed. This approach can be used to organize the movement and interaction of objects operating as part of multi-agent systems. Conclusions. The methods used for the transition from local coordinate systems linked to a particular unmanned aircraft (UAV) to the basic coordinate system allow you to organize the movement of a heterogeneous group of UAVs in the emergency zone. The developed concept and recommendations for the construction of an emergency zone, zones, or security areas around each operating as part of a heterogeneous group of UAVs and around potentially dangerous objects, as well as for taking into account the mutual location of these zones, or security areas, protect each UAV from collisions with obstacles, and also increase the traffic safety of a heterogeneous group of UAVs as a whole.

The reservoir capacity curve is a key quantity for the safe operation of reservoirs, and the reservoir capacity may change during the operation of reservoirs due to various factors, so timely calibration is required. The topography of the reservoir area is measured in three dimensions using an unmanned aircraft and an unmanned boat, respectively. The data results establish a digital elevation model (DEM) of the reservoir area, and the DEM square grid method is used to calculate the reservoir capacity, thus realising the calibration of the reservoir capacity curve. The technical method was successfully applied in Lujiayao Reservoir with high accuracy of results.

Registration of unmanned aircraft is a common policy around the world and forms part of the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s model regulations for unmanned aircraft. This study conducts a review of the various registration policies that have been implemented amongst advanced economies to find commonalities and differences. New Zealand is then used as a case study. The country does not currently have registration of unmanned aircraft; however, their Ministry of Transport has put forward the idea of implementing a registration scheme. As part of this case study, the ownership characteristics of 919 New Zealand unmanned aircraft users were collected using an online survey. The results highlight that personally owned aircraft tend to only be used by their owner, with the number of users being lower than the number of aircraft. For organisationally owned aircraft, there are multiple users per aircraft; however, these users tend to only be employees of the organisation. These findings suggest that for New Zealand, the best way to implement a registration scheme would be to register users and organisations rather than individual aircraft. While specific to New Zealand, these findings also prompt the need for future research worldwide to see whether registration schemes reconcile with ownership data.