Unmanned Systems

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Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems

R. Kurt Barnhart,Douglas M. Marshall,Eric Shappee,Michael Thomas Most
Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems Book PDF

Author : R. Kurt Barnhart,Douglas M. Marshall,Eric Shappee,Michael Thomas Most
Publisher : CRC Press
Page : 343 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2016-10-26
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781482263961

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Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems by R. Kurt Barnhart,Douglas M. Marshall,Eric Shappee,Michael Thomas Most Pdf

Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems surveys the fundamentals of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations, from sensors, controls, and automation to regulations, safety procedures, and human factors. It is designed for the student or layperson and thus assumes no prior knowledge of UASs, engineering, or aeronautics. Dynamic and well-illustrated, the first edition of this popular primer was created in response to a need for a suitable university-level textbook on the subject. Fully updated and significantly expanded, this new Second Edition: Reflects the proliferation of technological capability, miniaturization, and demand for aerial intelligence in a post-9/11 world Presents the latest major commercial uses of UASs and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Enhances its coverage with greater depth and support for more advanced coursework Provides material appropriate for introductory UAS coursework in both aviation and aerospace engineering programs Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Second Edition capitalizes on the expertise of contributing authors to instill a practical, up-to-date understanding of what it takes to safely operate UASs in the National Airspace System (NAS). Complete with end-of-chapter discussion questions, this book makes an ideal textbook for a first course in UAS operations.

Deep Learning for Unmanned Systems

Anis Koubaa,Ahmad Taher Azar
Deep Learning for Unmanned Systems Book PDF

Author : Anis Koubaa,Ahmad Taher Azar
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 731 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2021-10-01
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9783030779399

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Deep Learning for Unmanned Systems by Anis Koubaa,Ahmad Taher Azar Pdf

This book is used at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level and many others. Manned and unmanned ground, aerial and marine vehicles enable many promising and revolutionary civilian and military applications that will change our life in the near future. These applications include, but are not limited to, surveillance, search and rescue, environment monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, self-driving cars, contactless last-mile delivery vehicles, autonomous ships, precision agriculture and transmission line inspection to name just a few. These vehicles will benefit from advances of deep learning as a subfield of machine learning able to endow these vehicles with different capability such as perception, situation awareness, planning and intelligent control. Deep learning models also have the ability to generate actionable insights into the complex structures of large data sets. In recent years, deep learning research has received an increasing amount of attention from researchers in academia, government laboratories and industry. These research activities have borne some fruit in tackling some of the challenging problems of manned and unmanned ground, aerial and marine vehicles that are still open. Moreover, deep learning methods have been recently actively developed in other areas of machine learning, including reinforcement training and transfer/meta-learning, whereas standard, deep learning methods such as recent neural network (RNN) and coevolutionary neural networks (CNN). The book is primarily meant for researchers from academia and industry, who are working on in the research areas such as engineering, control engineering, robotics, mechatronics, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science. The book chapters deal with the recent research problems in the areas of reinforcement learning-based control of UAVs and deep learning for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) The book chapters present various techniques of deep learning for robotic applications. The book chapters contain a good literature survey with a long list of references. The book chapters are well written with a good exposition of the research problem, methodology, block diagrams and mathematical techniques. The book chapters are lucidly illustrated with numerical examples and simulations. The book chapters discuss details of applications and future research areas.

Unmanned Aerial Systems

Anis Koubaa,Ahmad Taher Azar
Unmanned Aerial Systems Book PDF

Author : Anis Koubaa,Ahmad Taher Azar
Publisher : Academic Press
Page : 652 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2021-01-21
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780128202777

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Unmanned Aerial Systems by Anis Koubaa,Ahmad Taher Azar Pdf

Unmanned Aerial Systems: Theoretical Foundation and Applications presents some of the latest innovative approaches to drones from the point-of-view of dynamic modeling, system analysis, optimization, control, communications, 3D-mapping, search and rescue, surveillance, farmland and construction monitoring, and more. With the emergence of low-cost UAS, a vast array of research works in academia and products in the industrial sectors have evolved. The book covers the safe operation of UAS, including, but not limited to, fundamental design, mission and path planning, control theory, computer vision, artificial intelligence, applications requirements, and more. This book provides a unique reference of the state-of-the-art research and development of unmanned aerial systems, making it an essential resource for researchers, instructors and practitioners. Covers some of the most innovative approaches to drones Provides the latest state-of-the-art research and development surrounding unmanned aerial systems Presents a comprehensive reference on unmanned aerial systems, with a focus on cutting-edge technologies and recent research trends in the area

Unmanned Rotorcraft Systems

Guowei Cai,Ben M. Chen,Tong Heng Lee
Unmanned Rotorcraft Systems Book PDF

Author : Guowei Cai,Ben M. Chen,Tong Heng Lee
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2011-06-01
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780857296351

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Unmanned Rotorcraft Systems by Guowei Cai,Ben M. Chen,Tong Heng Lee Pdf

Unmanned Rotorcraft Systems explores the research and development of fully-functional miniature UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) rotorcraft, and provides a complete treatment of the design of autonomous miniature rotorcraft UAVs. The unmanned system is an integration of advanced technologies developed in communications, computing, and control areas, and is an excellent testing ground for trialing and implementing modern control techniques. Included are detailed expositions of systematic hardware construction, software systems integration, aerodynamic modeling; and automatic flight control system design. Emphasis is placed on the cooperative control and flight formation of multiple UAVs, vision-based ground target tracking, and landing on moving platforms. Other issues such as the development of GPS-less indoor micro aerial vehicles and vision-based navigation are also discussed in depth: utilizing the vision-based system for accomplishing ground target tracking, attacking and landing, cooperative control and flight formation of multiple unmanned rotorcraft; and future research directions on the related areas.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Ella Atkins,Anibal Ollero,Antonios Tsourdos
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Book PDF

Author : Ella Atkins,Anibal Ollero,Antonios Tsourdos
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 740 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2017-01-17
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781118866450

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Unmanned Aircraft Systems by Ella Atkins,Anibal Ollero,Antonios Tsourdos Pdf

UNMANNED AIRCRAF T SYSTEMS UNMANNED AIRCRAF T SYSTEMS An unmanned aircraft system (UAS), sometimes called a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot on board ??? instead, the UAS can be controlled by an operator station on the ground or may be autonomous in operation. UAS are capable of addressing a broad range of applications in diverse, complex environments. Traditionally employed in mainly military applications, recent regulatory changes around the world are leading to an explosion of interest and wide-ranging new applications for UAS in civil airspace. Covering the design, development, operation, and mission profiles of unmanned aircraft systems, this single, comprehensive volume forms a complete, stand-alone reference on the topic. The volume integrates with the online Wiley Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering, providing many new and updated articles for existing subscribers to that work. The chapters cover the following items: Airframe configurations and design (launch systems, power generation, propulsion) Operations (missions, integration issues, and airspace access) Coordination (multivehicle cooperation and human oversight) With contributions from leading experts, this volume is intended to be a valuable addition, and a useful resource, for aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, governmental and industrial aerospace research establishments, airline and aviation industries, university engineering and science departments, and industry analysts, consultants, and researchers.

Unmanned Systems of World Wars I and II

H. R. Everett
Unmanned Systems of World Wars I and II Book PDF

Author : H. R. Everett
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 767 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2015-11-06
Category : History
ISBN : 9780262029223

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Unmanned Systems of World Wars I and II by H. R. Everett Pdf

The first comprehensive technical history of air, land, sea, and underwater unmanned systems, by a distinguished U.S. Navy roboticist. Military drones have recently been hailed as a revolutionary new technology that will forever change the conduct of war. And yet the United States and other countries have been deploying such unmanned military systems for more than a century. Written by a renowned authority in the field, this book documents the forgotten legacy of these pioneering efforts, offering the first comprehensive historical and technical accounting of unmanned air, land, sea, and underwater systems. Focusing on examples introduced during the two world wars, H. R. Everett meticulously traces their development from the mid-nineteenth century to the early Cold War. A pioneering Navy roboticist, Everett not only describes these systems in detail but also reverse-engineers the designs in order to explain how they operated in real-world conditions of the time. More than 500 illustrations—photographs, drawings, and plans, many of them never before published—accompany the text. Everett covers the evolution of early wire-guided submersibles, tracing the development of power, propulsion, communication, and control; radio-controlled surface craft, deployed by both Germany and Great Britain in World War I; radio-controlled submersibles; radio-controlled aircraft, including the TDR-1 assault drone project in World War II—which laid the groundwork for subsequent highly classified drone programs; and remote-controlled ground vehicles, including the Wehrmacht's Goliath and Borgward demolition carriers.

Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations on Air, Sea, Land

Randall Nichols,Hans Mumm,Wayne Lonstein,Julie Ryan,Candice Carter,John-Paul Hood,Jeremy Shay,Randall Mai,Mark Jackson
Unmanned Vehicle Systems Operations on Air Sea Land Book PDF

Author : Randall Nichols,Hans Mumm,Wayne Lonstein,Julie Ryan,Candice Carter,John-Paul Hood,Jeremy Shay,Randall Mai,Mark Jackson
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2020-10-02
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1944548319

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Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations on Air, Sea, Land by Randall Nichols,Hans Mumm,Wayne Lonstein,Julie Ryan,Candice Carter,John-Paul Hood,Jeremy Shay,Randall Mai,Mark Jackson Pdf

Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land is our fourth textbook in a series covering the world of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS). (Nichols R. K., 2018) (Nichols R. K., et al., 2019) (Nichols R. , et al., 2020)The authors have expanded their purview beyond UAS / CUAS systems. Our title shows our concern for growth and unique cyber security unmanned vehicle technology and operations for unmanned vehicles in all theaters: Air, Sea and Land - especially maritime cybersecurity and China proliferation issues. Topics include: Information Advances, Remote ID, and Extreme Persistence ISR; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles & How They Can Augment Mesonet Weather Tower Data Collection; Tour de Drones for the Discerning Palate; Underwater Autonomous Navigation & other UUV Advances; Autonomous Maritime Asymmetric Systems; UUV Integrated Autonomous Missions & Drone Management; Principles of Naval Architecture Applied to UUV's; Unmanned Logistics Operating Safely and Efficiently Across Multiple Domains; Chinese Advances in Stealth UAV Penetration Path Planning in Combat Environment; UAS, the Fourth Amendment and Privacy; UV & Disinformation / Misinformation Channels; Chinese UAS Proliferation along New Silk Road Sea / Land Routes; Automaton, AI, Law, Ethics, Crossing the Machine - Human Barrier and Maritime Cybersecurity.Unmanned Vehicle Systems are an integral part of the US national critical infrastructure The authors have endeavored to bring a breadth and quality of information to the reader that is unparalleled in the unclassified sphere. Unmanned Vehicle (UV) Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land discusses state-of-the-art technology issues facing U.S. UV system researchers / designers / manufacturers / testers. We trust our newest look at Unmanned Vehicles in Air, Sea, and Land will enrich our students and readers understanding of the purview of this wonderful technology we call UV.

Small Unmanned Aircraft

Randal W. Beard,Timothy W. McLain
Small Unmanned Aircraft Book PDF

Author : Randal W. Beard,Timothy W. McLain
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 317 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2012-02-26
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781400840601

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Small Unmanned Aircraft by Randal W. Beard,Timothy W. McLain Pdf

Autonomous unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are critical to current and future military, civil, and commercial operations. Despite their importance, no previous textbook has accessibly introduced UAVs to students in the engineering, computer, and science disciplines--until now. Small Unmanned Aircraft provides a concise but comprehensive description of the key concepts and technologies underlying the dynamics, control, and guidance of fixed-wing unmanned aircraft, and enables all students with an introductory-level background in controls or robotics to enter this exciting and important area. The authors explore the essential underlying physics and sensors of UAV problems, including low-level autopilot for stability and higher-level autopilot functions of path planning. The textbook leads the student from rigid-body dynamics through aerodynamics, stability augmentation, and state estimation using onboard sensors, to maneuvering through obstacles. To facilitate understanding, the authors have replaced traditional homework assignments with a simulation project using the MATLAB/Simulink environment. Students begin by modeling rigid-body dynamics, then add aerodynamics and sensor models. They develop low-level autopilot code, extended Kalman filters for state estimation, path-following routines, and high-level path-planning algorithms. The final chapter of the book focuses on UAV guidance using machine vision. Designed for advanced undergraduate or graduate students in engineering or the sciences, this book offers a bridge to the aerodynamics and control of UAV flight.

Unmanned

Ann Rogers,John Hill
Unmanned Book PDF

Author : Ann Rogers,John Hill
Publisher : Between the Lines
Page : 192 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2014-04-01
Category : TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING
ISBN : 9781771131544

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Unmanned by Ann Rogers,John Hill Pdf

Drones have become the controversial new weapon of choice for the US military abroad. Unmanned details the causes and deadly consequences of this terrifying new development in warfare, and explores the implications for international law and global peace. Ann Rogers and John Hill argue that drones represent the first truly globalized technology of war. The book shows how unmanned systems are changing not simply how wars are fought, but the meaning of conflict itself. Providing an unparalleled account of new forms of twenty-first century imperial warfare, Unmanned shows how drone systems dissolve the conventional obstacles of time and space that have traditionally shaped conflict in the international system. It considers the possibility that these weapons will become normalized in global conflict, raising the spectre of new, unpredictable, and unaccountable forms of warfare.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uas) in the Cyber Domain: Protecting Usa's Advanced Air Assets

Julie J. C. H. Ryan,Hans C. Mumm,Wayne D. Lonstein Esq
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Uas in the Cyber Domain Protecting Usa s Advanced Air Assets Book PDF

Author : Julie J. C. H. Ryan,Hans C. Mumm,Wayne D. Lonstein Esq
Publisher : Independently Published
Page : 430 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2018-09-14
Category : Computers
ISBN : 1724077066

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Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uas) in the Cyber Domain: Protecting Usa's Advanced Air Assets by Julie J. C. H. Ryan,Hans C. Mumm,Wayne D. Lonstein Esq Pdf

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are an integral part of the US national critical infrastructure. They must be protected from hostile intent or use to the same level as any other military or commercial asset involved in US national security. However, from the Spratly Islands to Djibouti to heartland America, the expanding Chinese Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS / Drone) industry has outpaced the US technologically and numerically on all fronts: military, commercial, and recreational. Both countries found that there were large information security gaps in unmanned systems that could be exploited on the international cyber-security stage. Many of those gaps remain today and are direct threats to US advanced Air Assets if not mitigated upfront by UAS designers and manufacturers. The authors contend that US military / commercial developers of UAS hardware and software must perform cyber risk assessments and mitigations prior to delivery of UAS systems to stay internationally competitive and secure. The authors have endeavored to bring a breadth and quality of information to the reader that is unparalleled in the unclassified sphere. This book will fully immerse and engage the reader in the cyber-security considerations of this rapidly emerging technology that we know as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Topics covered include National Airspace (NAS) policy issues, information security, UAS vulnerabilities in key systems (Sense and Avoid / SCADA), collision avoidance systems, stealth design, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms; weapons systems security; electronic warfare considerations; data-links, jamming operational vulnerabilities and still-emerging political scenarios that affect US military / commercial decisions.

Applications of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

J.B. Sharma
Applications of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Book PDF

Author : J.B. Sharma
Publisher : CRC Press
Page : 309 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2019-10-18
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780429520853

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Applications of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems by J.B. Sharma Pdf

Advances in high spatial resolution mapping capabilities and the new rules established by the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States for the operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) have provided new opportunities to acquire aerial data at a lower cost and more safely versus other methods. A similar opening of the skies for sUAS applications is being allowed in countries across the world. Also, sUAS can access hazardous or inaccessible areas during disaster events and provide rapid response when needed. Applications of Small Unmanned Aircraft systems: Best Practices and Case Studies is the first book that brings together the best practices of sUAS applied to a broad range of issues in high spatial resolution mapping projects. Very few sUAS pilots have the knowledge of how the collected imagery is processed into value added mapping products that have commercial and/or academic import. Since the field of sUAS applications is just a few years old, this book covers the need for a compendium of case studies to guide the planning, data collection, and most importantly data processing and map error issues, with the range of sensors available to the user community. Written by experienced academics and professionals, this book serves as a guide on how to formulate sUAS based projects, from choice of a sUAS, flight planning for a particular application, sensors and data acquisition, data processing software, mapping software and use of the high spatial resolution maps produced for particular types of geospatial modeling. Features: Focus on sUAS based data acquisition and processing into map products Broad range of case studies by highly experienced academics Practical guidance on sUAS hardware, sensors, and software utilized Compilation of workflow insights from expert professors and professionals Relevant to academia, government, and industry Positional and thematic map accuracy, UAS curriculum development and workflow replicability issues This book would be an excellent text for upper-level undergraduate to graduate level sUAS mapping application courses. It is also invaluable as a reference for educators designing sUAS based curriculum as well as for potential sUAS users to assess the scope of mapping projects that can be done with this technology.

Introduction to UAV Systems

Paul G. Fahlstrom,Thomas J. Gleason
Introduction to UAV Systems Book PDF

Author : Paul G. Fahlstrom,Thomas J. Gleason
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 306 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2012-07-11
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781118396810

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Introduction to UAV Systems by Paul G. Fahlstrom,Thomas J. Gleason Pdf

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely adopted in the military world over the last decade and the success of these military applications is increasingly driving efforts to establish unmanned aircraft in non-military roles. Introduction to UAV Systems, 4th edition provides a comprehensive introduction to all of the elements of a complete Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). It addresses the air vehicle, mission planning and control, several types of mission payloads, data links and how they interact with mission performance, and launch and recovery concepts. This book provides enough information to encourage a student to learn more; to provide a specialist with a basic appreciation of the technical issues that drive other parts of the system and interact with their specialty; or to help a program manager understand system-level tradeoffs and know what questions to ask. Key features: Comprehensive overview of all elements of a UAS and of how they interact. Introduces the underlying concepts of key subsystems. Emphasizes system-integration issues and how they relate to subsystem design choices. Practical discussion of issues informed by lessons learned in UAV programs. Introduction to UAV Systems, 4th edition is written both for newcomers to the subject and for experienced members of the UAV community who desire a comprehensive overview at the system level. As well as being a primary text for an introductory course on UAS or a supplementary text in a course that goes into more depth in one of the individual technologies involved in a UAS, this book is a useful overview for practicing engineers, researchers, managers, and consultants interested in UAV systems.

Aerial Manipulation

Matko Orsag,Christopher Korpela,Paul Oh,Stjepan Bogdan
Aerial Manipulation Book PDF

Author : Matko Orsag,Christopher Korpela,Paul Oh,Stjepan Bogdan
Publisher : Springer
Page : 235 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2017-09-19
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9783319610221

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Aerial Manipulation by Matko Orsag,Christopher Korpela,Paul Oh,Stjepan Bogdan Pdf

This text is a thorough treatment of the rapidly growing area of aerial manipulation. It details all the design steps required for the modeling and control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with robotic manipulators. Starting with the physical basics of rigid-body kinematics, the book gives an in-depth presentation of local and global coordinates, together with the representation of orientation and motion in fixed- and moving-coordinate systems. Coverage of the kinematics and dynamics of unmanned aerial vehicles is developed in a succession of popular UAV configurations for multirotor systems. Such an arrangement, supported by frequent examples and end-of-chapter exercises, leads the reader from simple to more complex UAV configurations. Propulsion-system aerodynamics, essential in UAV design, is analyzed through blade-element and momentum theories, analysis which is followed by a description of drag and ground-aerodynamic effects. The central part of the book is dedicated to aerial-manipulator kinematics, dynamics, and control. Based on foundations laid in the opening chapters, this portion of the book is a structured presentation of Newton–Euler dynamic modeling that results in forward and backward equations in both fixed- and moving-coordinate systems. The Lagrange–Euler approach is applied to expand the model further, providing formalisms to model the variable moment of inertia later used to analyze the dynamics of aerial manipulators in contact with the environment. Using knowledge from sensor data, insights are presented into the ways in which linear, robust, and adaptive control techniques can be applied in aerial manipulation so as to tackle the real-world problems faced by scholars and engineers in the design and implementation of aerial robotics systems. The book is completed by path and trajectory planning with vision-based examples for tracking and manipulation.

Drones in Society

Ron Bartsch,James Coyne,Katherine Gray
Drones in Society Book PDF

Author : Ron Bartsch,James Coyne,Katherine Gray
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 175 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2016-12-08
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781315409634

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Drones in Society by Ron Bartsch,James Coyne,Katherine Gray Pdf

The integration of drones into society has attracted unprecedented attention throughout the world. The change, for aviation, has been described as being equally as big as the arrival of the jet engine. This book examines the issues that surround this change, for our society and the legal frameworks that preserve our way of life. Drones in Society takes the uninitiated on a journey to understand the history of drones, the present day and the potential future in order to demystify the media hype. Written in an accessible style, Drones in Society will appeal to a broad range of interested readerships, among them students, safety regulators, government employees, airspace regulators, insurance brokers and underwriters, risk managers, lawyers, privacy groups and the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) industry generally. In a world first, this book is a light and interesting read; being both relatable and memorable while discussing complex matters of privacy, international law and the challenges ahead for us all.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Reg Austin
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Book PDF

Author : Reg Austin
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2011-09-20
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781119964261

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Unmanned Aircraft Systems by Reg Austin Pdf

Unmanned Aircraft Systems delivers a much needed introduction to UAV System technology, taking an integrated approach that avoids compartmentalising the subject. Arranged in four sections, parts 1-3 examine the way in which various engineering disciplines affect the design, development and deployment of UAS. The fourth section assesses the future challenges and opportunities of UAS. Technological innovation and increasingly diverse applications are two key drivers of the rapid expansion of UAS technology. The global defence budget for UAS procurement is expanding, and in the future the market for civilian UAVs is expected to outmatch that of the military. Agriculture, meteorology, conservation and border control are just a few of the diverse areas in which UAVs are making a significant impact; the author addresses all of these applications, looking at the roles and technology behind both fixed wing and rotorcraft UAVs. Leading aeronautical consultant Reg Austin co-founded the Bristol International Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) conferences in 1979, which are now the longest-established UAS conferences worldwide. In addition, Austin has over 40 years' experience in the design and development of UAS. One of Austin's programmes, the "Sprite UAV System" has been deployed around the world and operated by day and night, in all weathers.