blog




  • Essay / The deployment of drones in urban modernization projects

    In contemporary times, the rapid growth of the world's population is a major problem that global society will have to face in the coming decades. This phenomenon, coupled with the inability of these people to find affordable housing, is the decisive factor leading to the increase in informal settlements. Recent research has estimated that more than 25% of the world's urban population lives in slums. While the efforts of urban developers to improve living conditions there, the lack of sufficient spatial information describing the baseline situation and modifications generates several difficulties. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also called drones, appear to meet the requirements for detailed and up-to-date spatial information about these areas in an economically viable manner. Drone missions could facilitate mapping attempts in informal settlements by recording good quality images and videos which, after an essential editing process, are converted into detailed elevation models and orthoimaging. The information collected will simplify the identification of buildings and indicate the population, access routes and open spaces of the neighborhood. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Drone technology has emerged as a combination of technologies provided by different scientific fields such as aerodynamics, manufacturing materials , printed circuits, cameras or chipsets and software. The control operator, however, is the person who interacts with the “brain” of the system by designating its movements and is responsible for the mission. These systems could be modified depending on the type of mission that their investors are ready to implement by changing electronic or mechanical parts which increase, for example, endurance, autonomy, image quality or even data storage thanks to to big data. The role of the control operator is, however, immutable since he will define the parameters thanks to which a drone will succeed in its mission. Drones are a concept that has always been and continues to be inextricably linked to technological advancements and their production is expected to quadruple in the coming decades. The lack of alternative systems in mapping processes has made drones very useful for urban planners. So far, only satellites can generate maps of informal settlements and define their main characteristics. Internet sources, primarily Google Earth (GE), have been the main tools used to interpret the visual image of slums. However, the data was not sufficient as the spatial resolution was poor and therefore buildings, roads and infrastructure in these areas could not be determined. Therefore, the technical capability of drones to carry aerial cameras could help city planners further elaborate the siting area, ensuring cost-effectiveness and data quality. Drones are growing in popularity for many civilian applications, from amateur and amateur users to facilitating government or corporate research. 'projects. Data collected in Rwanda, Tanzania, Uruguay and Albania, aligned with settlement mapping, proved the important role of drones in information extraction. However, concerns about ethical implications and misuse of data could delay the development of these systems. Due to the great promise of the potential deploymentof drones for mapping informal settlements, different institutions have invested resources in this technology. As the main objective of using drones is to provide solutions to people, many collaborations can be found in this field. Governmental organizations in countries (e.g. Rwanda, Uruguay and others) intensively facing the phenomenon of informal settlements are taking the initiative to seek help from urban developers to determine possible ways to alleviate the problem , to avoid problems of expropriation and protect people from natural disasters. For their part, urban planners need all the tools available to provide high quality information and be able to analyze it, avoiding errors of interpretation or discrepancies between data. Many times they collaborate with local universities or other institutions that have conducted relevant research in order to obtain a better theoretical basis on the field. Universities and these institutions, for their part, intend to deepen their knowledge of this type of project and pay more attention to analysis procedures. However, essential information could only be accessible if the necessary tools are provided. The role of manufacturing companies is therefore essential. Leading drone companies such as DJI, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are actively investing and encouraging the use of drones in mapping informal settlements, ensuring the quality of the data extracted. Once this technology becomes widespread, many other stakeholders will be affected. For example, as the UAV system includes many subsystems, the number of suppliers who will deploy specific parts will be increased. Additionally, as drone applications expand beyond residences in informal settlements, insurance companies will be part of the stakeholder map with the aim of ensuring the quality of the system and ensuring manufacturers and residents. Drone missions will mainly affect citizens in informal settlements, who are primarily interested in maintaining their privacy as they may feel that drones are invading their lives and have fears about the use of the data obtained. The media and journals therefore have an important role to play in informing citizens for research purposes. Additionally, several NGOs are studying the potential effects and repercussions of drone use and are proposing alternative applications or pushing for a regulatory framework that will guarantee residents' rights. Due to the need for a defined regulatory framework, legislators are included in the stakeholder map. Their goal is to propose amendments and laws that will define the boundaries of drone applications in terms of privacy intervention, data usage transparency, flight envelope, system requirements and certifications. The core value of drone technology used for mapping informal settlements is the facilitation of the collection of detailed geospatial information without encroaching on the privacy process of citizens. The information and data obtained will provide urban planners with all the essential knowledge to manage the situation and propose feasible and sustainable solutions to improve these areas without expropriating residents' properties and protect them against possible natural disasters. Government agencies and urban developers considering using drones for mapping share common values ​​in that they are both looking for the best system to.