Ubiquitous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones have found applications in various fields including military operations, construction, parcel delivery, mapping, medical, search and rescue missions, exploration of hidden areas, monitoring power lines and oil rigs, precision farming, aerial surveillance, and wireless communication. Due to their modular flexibility and programmability, drone technologies have become a strategic industrial/commercial sector that has gained significant attention as it redefines and combines different emerging domains, such as: service and delivery convergence, lean manufacturing, environmental monitoring and security. The use of swarms of interconnected UAV systems has gained popularity in providing innovative approaches to tasks requiring wide-area multiple collaborative sensors. However, despite advances in maneuverability, user interface, and cost-effectiveness, drones still face limitations in flight autonomy due to restricted flight time for continuous missions. Battery endurance, drone weight, and payload are critical development vectors. This review highlights the importance of drones, their future development priorities and functionality. Specifically, it focuses on UAV classification, swarms, and charging. Moreover, it explores UAV applications, challenges, and security issues based on recent research and development. Additionally, the study delves into anti-drone technology that can assist countries in controlling and ensuring the safe utilization of drones.