Integration of UAVs into Air Traffic Systems

摘要

From their first flight around World War I, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have made tremendous technological advancements. Apart from their widespread use in military, now including a drone target practice F-16, there is a massive market for UAVs in the civilian sector. The possible areas of their operation include search and rescue activities, environmental surveillance, pollution detection, weather monitoring, fire control, earth mapping, coastal patrolling, border control, traffic jam resolution, infrastructure surveillance, telecommunication relay, freight delivery, and crime reconnaissance. Consequent to their anticipated enhanced use, UAVs are being manufactured in ever-increasing numbers and are improving rapidly in capability. According to industry forecaster Teal Group, it is expected that by 2022, the global annual spending in this field on research and development will rise to $11.6 billion, from the current figure of $5.2 billion. The total investment by then would be over $89 billion and rising rapidly.