Mapping Drone Applications in Rural and Regional Cities: A Scoping Review of the Australian State of Practice
Source abstract
Abstract
Consumer-accessible and user-friendly smart products such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, have become widely used, adaptable, and acceptable devices to observe, assess, measure, and explore urban and natural environments. A drone’s relatively low cost and flexibility in the level of expertise required to operate it has enabled users from novice to industry professionals to adapt a malleable technology to various disciplines. This review examines the academic literature and maps how drones are currently being used in 93 rural and regional city councils in New South Wales, Australia. Through a systematic review of the academic literature and scrutiny of current drone use in these councils using publicly available information found on council websites, findings reveal potential uses of drone technology for local governments who want to engage with smart technology devices. We looked at how drones were being used in the management of the council’s environment; health and safety initiatives; infrastructure; planning; social and community programmes; and waste and recycling. These findings suggest that drone technology is increasingly being utilised in rural and regional areas. While the focus is on rural and regional New South Wales, a review of the academic literature and local council websites provides a snapshot of drone use examples that holds global relevance for local councils in urban and remote areas seeking to incorporate drone technology into their daily practice of city, town, or region governance.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Land Use and Ecosystem Services · UAV Applications and Optimization · Urban Transport and Accessibility
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
School of Built Environment, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney, Darlington, NSW 2008, Australia
Funding
New South Wales Digital Restart Fund, Department of Regional New South Wales, Smart Places Acceleration Program
References (100+)
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