The Rise of Drones: Analysis of Current and Future Applications of Drones in Terrestrial Remote Sensing

摘要

Drones, characterized by rapid technological development in recent years, are gaining market acceptance and popularity. Here, we assess the potential benefits of drones in terrestrial remote sensing. Technologically speaking, drones can cooperate, complement, or replace satellites in climate studies, resource management and disaster management respectively. In comparison, drone market trends are showing an uptake over satellites in all three remote sensing fields, but specifically precision agriculture within resource management and local meteorology within climate studies. Additionally, the drone industry is polarizing into a monopoly manufacturer and a rapidly growing drone services market, the latter being the recommended space for entrant companies. There are currently no international regulations for drone operations, thus we recommend unification of drone laws, standardization of drone categories, and obligation for registration coupled with strict manufacturing control. Implementing such measures would address safety, security, privacy and public liability issues. It is also suggested that public, private and non-profit organizations develop drone programs for rapid deployment after disasters.