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Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Global Challenges: Current Technologies and...
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Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Global Challenges: Current Technologies and Future Prospects

A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Remote Sensing in Geology, Geomorphology and Hydrology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 November 2023) | Viewed by 14858

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Bashar Alsadik

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Earth Observation Science, ITC Faculty, University of Twente, 7514 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
Interests: photogrammetry; geomatics; mobile mapping systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Francesco Nex

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
Interests: geometric and radiometric sensors; sensor fusion; calibration of imageries; signal/image processing; mission planning; navigation and position/orientation; machine learning; simultaneous localization and mapping; regulations and economic impact; agriculture; geosciences; urban area; architecture; monitoring/change detection; education; unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Fabio Remondino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
3D Optical Metrology (3DOM) Unit, Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK), 38123 Trento, Italy
Interests: photogrammetry; laser scanning; optical metrology; 3D; AI; quality control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jesús Balado Frías

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Geotech Group, CINTECX, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
Interests: LiDAR; point cloud; laser scanner; computational geometry; machine learning; classification; deep learning; physical accessibility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are currently a hot topic of research and education, with research being stimulated by industry and commerce all over the world. Interestingly, UAS have diverse uses for public safety and for managing the current global challenges of urbanization, climate change, natural disasters, and many more. An added challenge is that no two incidents are ever the same, whether one is tracking a wildfire, conducting a search and rescue expedition, or surveying building damage. However, in this domain, UAS are a powerful remote sensing tool, since they can go to isolated regions faster than teams on foot, utilize specialized sensors to penetrate foliage, collect details that people miss, and explore large areas.

Moreover, UAS can be used for flood mapping and risk estimation, wildfire or volcanic lava flow monitoring, damaged buildings assessment, debris volume calculation, slums and informal settlements or land use change mapping, etc.

Given these possibilities, research innovations, new tools, and best practices in UAS data collection, processing, and modeling are being shared and studied in a constantly evolving field to identify the most efficient and successful solutions to the global challenges we face. We believe that this communication will be useful for a variety of challenging applications, allowing for fresh research and analysis.

The Special Issue aims to collect and present modern and innovative research in UAS technologies, concepts, and methodologies for the acquisition and processing of collected data related to ongoing global challenges and societal problems.

It is our aim to encourage collaboration and the sharing of best practices related to UAS technologies across a range of disciplines. Researchers, developers, and scientists from different scientific disciplines of geomatics, geoinformatics, geology,  remote sensing, robotics, mapping, cultural heritage, agriculture, and other related fields are, therefore, invited to present their latest scientific work.

We encourage original research contributions related, but not necessarily restricted to:

  • Innovative techniques in using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for data acquisition and processing.
  • Autonomous UAS flight missions.
  • UAS data acquisition and navigation in GNSS-denied conditions.
  • Direct georeferencing potentials.
  • Deep learning methods used to process UAS datasets (feature extraction, point cloud classification, etc).
  • Cloud-based and big data solutions for UAS.
  • On-board real-time UAS data processing and manipulation.
  • Challenges and best practices in UAS-based multispectral and hyperspectral imaging.
  • UAS hybrid sensor systems and data fusion.
  • UAS-based solutions for digital twins and virtual and augmented reality.
  • Standardization and quality control for UAS-based 3D mapping.
  • UAS-based applications for monitoring, documenting, and mapping forestry, infrastructures, wildfire, flooding, landslide, damages, natural hazards, etc.
  • Review articles extensively covering one or more of the above-mentioned topics.

Dr. Bashar Alsadik
Dr. Francesco Nex
Prof. Dr. Fabio Remondino
Dr. Jesús Balado Frías
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • UAS, UAV, RPAS, and drones
  • natural disasters
  • big data
  • geodata collection and processing
  • machine and deep learning
  • three-dimensional mapping

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4660 KiB  
Article
High-Resolution Image Products Acquired from Mid-Sized Uncrewed Aerial Systems for Land–Atmosphere Studies
by Lexie Goldberger, Ilan Gonzalez-Hirshfeld, Kristian Nelson, Hardeep Mehta, Fan Mei, Jason Tomlinson, Beat Schmid and Jerry Tagestad
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(16), 3940; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15163940 - 09 Aug 2023
Viewed by 865
Abstract
We assess the viability of deploying commercially available multispectral and thermal imagers designed for integration on small uncrewed aerial systems (sUASs, <25 kg) on a mid-size Group-3-classification UAS (weight: 25–600 kg, maximum altitude: 5486 m MSL, maximum speed: 128 m/s) for the purpose [...] Read more.
We assess the viability of deploying commercially available multispectral and thermal imagers designed for integration on small uncrewed aerial systems (sUASs, <25 kg) on a mid-size Group-3-classification UAS (weight: 25–600 kg, maximum altitude: 5486 m MSL, maximum speed: 128 m/s) for the purpose of collecting a higher spatial resolution dataset that can be used for evaluating the surface energy budget and effects of surface heterogeneity on atmospheric processes than those datasets traditionally collected by instrumentation deployed on satellites and eddy covariance towers. A MicaSense Altum multispectral imager was deployed on two very similar mid-sized UASs operated by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Aviation Facility. This paper evaluates the effects of flight on imaging systems mounted on UASs flying at higher altitudes and faster speeds for extended durations. We assess optimal calibration methods, acquisition rates, and flight plans for maximizing land surface area measurements. We developed, in-house, an automated workflow to correct the raw image frames and produce final data products, which we assess against known spectral ground targets and independent sources. We intend this manuscript to be used as a reference for collecting similar datasets in the future and for the datasets described within this manuscript to be used as launching points for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Global Challenges: Current Technologies and Future Prospects)
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28 pages, 3005 KiB  
Article
Multi-UAV Mapping and Target Finding in Large, Complex, Partially Observable Environments
by Violet Walker, Fernando Vanegas and Felipe Gonzalez
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(15), 3802; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15153802 - 30 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1324
Abstract
Coordinating multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the purposes of target finding or surveying points of interest in large, complex, and partially observable environments remains an area of exploration. This work proposes a modeling approach and software framework for multi-UAV search and target [...] Read more.
Coordinating multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the purposes of target finding or surveying points of interest in large, complex, and partially observable environments remains an area of exploration. This work proposes a modeling approach and software framework for multi-UAV search and target finding within large, complex, and partially observable environments. Mapping and path-solving is carried out by an extended NanoMap library; the global planning problem is defined as a decentralized partially observable Markov decision process and solved using an online model-based solver, and the local control problem is defined as two separate partially observable Markov decision processes that are solved using deep reinforcement learning. Simulated testing demonstrates that the proposed framework enables multiple UAVs to search and target-find within large, complex, and partially observable environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Global Challenges: Current Technologies and Future Prospects)
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16 pages, 14933 KiB  
Article
Prospects of Consumer-Grade UAVs for Overpass Bridges Pier Pads Alignment
by Hasan Abdulhussein Jaafar and Bashar Alsadik
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(4), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15040877 - 05 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1788
Abstract
The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for surveying is at the forefront of their use in the Architectural Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. UAVs make accessing hard-to-reach construction regions simpler and more cost-effective because of their small size, ease of mobility, and [...] Read more.
The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for surveying is at the forefront of their use in the Architectural Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. UAVs make accessing hard-to-reach construction regions simpler and more cost-effective because of their small size, ease of mobility, and the wealth of information given by their integrated sensors. Accordingly, their use is thriving in different AEC sectors such as the management and inspection of engineering facilities such as concrete bridges. Overpass bridge engineering inspections are still applied using high accuracy surveying instruments in situ to ensure meeting the quality standards of construction. One important application is to measure the bridge pier caps centerline fitting using total stations, which is costly in terms of time and labor. Therefore, in this article, a new approach based on consumer-grade UAV imaging is proposed for replacing the traditional surveying techniques which are expected to improve automation and reduce time and cost. The proposed method utilized a sequence of processes on the UAV point clouds of the bridge concrete pier caps to finally extract the pier pads center and check their alignment. In two experiments, point clouds are created using DJI Phantom 3 images taken over bridge pier projects under construction, and concrete pad centers are then estimated and compared to the reference total station measurements. The results of both tests reveal the ability of the proposed method to attain the required accuracy for the pads’ alignment, as the root mean square error (RMSE) is one centimeter and two centimeters for the first and second tests, respectively. In addition, the new approach can reduce implementation time and the project budget. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Global Challenges: Current Technologies and Future Prospects)
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24 pages, 4693 KiB  
Article
Design and Application of a UAV Autonomous Inspection System for High-Voltage Power Transmission Lines
by Ziran Li, Yanwen Zhang, Hao Wu, Satoshi Suzuki, Akio Namiki and Wei Wang
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(3), 865; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15030865 - 03 Feb 2023
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4692
Abstract
As the scale of the power grid continues to expand, the human-based inspection method struggles to meet the needs of efficient grid operation and maintenance. Currently, the existing UAV inspection system in the market generally has short endurance power time, high flight operation [...] Read more.
As the scale of the power grid continues to expand, the human-based inspection method struggles to meet the needs of efficient grid operation and maintenance. Currently, the existing UAV inspection system in the market generally has short endurance power time, high flight operation requirements, low degree of autonomous flight, low accuracy of intelligent identification, slow generation of inspection reports, and other problems. In view of these shortcomings, this paper designs an intelligent inspection system based on self-developed UAVs, including autonomous planning of inspection paths, sliding film control algorithms, mobile inspection schemes and intelligent fault diagnosis. In the first stage, basic data such as latitude, longitude, altitude, and the length of the cross-arms are obtained from the cloud database of the power grid, while the lateral displacement and vertical displacement during the inspection drone operation are calculated, and the inspection flight path is generated independently according to the inspection type. In the second stage, in order to make the UAV’s flight more stable, the reference-model-based sliding mode control algorithm is introduced to improve the control performance. Meanwhile, during flight, the intelligent UAV uploads the captured photos to the cloud in real time. In the third stage, a mobile inspection program is designed in order to improve the inspection efficiency. The transfer of equipment is realized in the process of UAV inspection. Finally, to improve the detection accuracy, a high-precision object detector is designed based on the YOLOX network model, and the improved model increased the mAP0.5:0.95 metric by 2.22 percentage points compared to the original YOLOX_m for bird’s nest detection. After a large number of flight verifications, the inspection system designed in this paper greatly improves the efficiency of power inspection, shortens the inspection cycle, reduces the investment cost of inspection manpower and material resources, and successfully fuses the object detection algorithm in the field of high-voltage power transmission lines inspection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Global Challenges: Current Technologies and Future Prospects)
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Review

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35 pages, 3402 KiB  
Review
Advancements and Applications of Drone-Integrated Geographic Information System Technology—A Review
by Md Muzakkir Quamar, Baqer Al-Ramadan, Khalid Khan, Md Shafiullah and Sami El Ferik
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(20), 5039; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15205039 - 20 Oct 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4715
Abstract
Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have gained numerous applications due to their low cost, ease of use, vertical takeover and landing, and ability to operate in high-risk or hard-to-reach areas. The contribution of this review is that of building the [...] Read more.
Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have gained numerous applications due to their low cost, ease of use, vertical takeover and landing, and ability to operate in high-risk or hard-to-reach areas. The contribution of this review is that of building the bridge between drone technology and its application and advancements in the field of Geographic Information System (GIS). The integration of drones and GIS is valuable as it reduces costs and improves accessibility for geospatial data collection. Traditional methods involving aircraft for aerial photography are expensive, requiring the hiring of aircraft, pilots, and photographers. Drones equipped with advanced cameras and artificial intelligence software can replace the conventional technique and at the same time, be economical and time-efficient. The integration of drones and GIS is expected to bring revolutionary benefits in the fields of precision agriculture, urban planning, emergency health response, disaster management, the development of smart cities, food delivery, etc. In this paper, a state-of-the-art review of the deployment of drone-integrated GIS applications in different fields is presented. Numerous techniques and associated challenges related to their development, formulation, implementation, and regulation are highlighted. It has been concluded that drone-integration solutions in GIS improve efficiency and accuracy, enhance the decision-making process, and facilitate better real-time monitoring. The findings of this review paper are intended to help and benefit researchers, business developers, emergency service providers, industrialists, and policymakers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Global Challenges: Current Technologies and Future Prospects)
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