Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles, often referred to as drones, are increasingly used as an element of the transport system, including in urban areas. Despite the limitations, mainly related to the range and load capacity, it should be expected that in the near future, they will transport cargo and passengers as one of the elements of the urban transport system. The concept of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), which envisages the use of drones and other aircraft in urban airspace, meets this goal.
Literature analysis was used to identify and describe applications of drones in the urban transport systems and to articulate key challenges related to this issue as well.
The article presents generalizations regarding the use of drones in the urban transport system, including urban air mobility. It identifies the key challenges related to their implementation in urban areas. Typical applications of drones in urban airspace include passenger and cargo transportation and support for services and Intelligent Transportation System components. The main challenges relate to legal regulations, safety and security, air traffic management, environmental impact, infrastructure and social acceptance for implementing drones in the city’s transport system.
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