Autonomous drones: what does the future hold?

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of software innovation on autonomous drone control and the applications revealed in the process. The intended readers are technology enthusiasts who are looking forward to integrating and using drones in their daily operations and are intrigued by their future usage in science and business optimization. We introduced our readers to the world of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles by first defining important terms and acronyms. Then we analyzed the core technologies necessary for autonomous drone control by explaining the key software components such as sensor fusion, path-planning and obstacle avoidance algorithms, and the communication protocols which are currently used. We discussed the advantages of autonomous drones compared to traditional drones and highlighted their enhanced safety, great efficiency, and the potential for new applications. Moreover, we examined the future challenges and possibilities of autonomous drones in the context of Artificial Intelligence advancements, cybersecurity concerns, legislative challenges, and rapid technical development. We investigated the potential business sectors that can further optimize their processes and what areas of improvement have to be studied to bring unmanned aerial vehicles to the necessary level of security and performance.