The expanding use of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has brought forth a crucial need to address the safety risks they pose in the event of failure, especially when flying in populated areas. This paper reviews recent advancements in recovery systems designed for the emergency landing of civilian UAVs. It covers a wide range of recovery methods, categorizing them based on different recovery approaches and UAV types, including multirotor and fixed-wing. The study highlights the diversity of recovery strategies, ranging from parachute and airbag systems to software-based methods and hybrid solutions. It emphasizes the importance of considering UAV-specific characteristics and operational environments when selecting appropriate safety systems. Furthermore, by comparing various emergency landing systems, this study reveals that integrating multiple approaches based on the UAV type and mission requirements can achieve broader cover of emergency situations compared to using a single system for a specific scenario. Examples of UAVs that utilize emergency landing systems are also provided. For each recovery system, three key parameters of operating altitude, flight speed and added weight are presented. Researchers and UAV developers can utilize this information to identify a suitable emergency landing method tailored to their mission requirements and available UAVs. Based on the key trends and challenges found in the literature, this review concludes by proposing specific, actionable recommendations. These recommendations are directed towards researchers, UAV developers, and regulatory bodies, and focus on enhancing the safety of civilian UAV operations through the improvement of emergency landing systems.
Safety Systems for Emergency Landing of Civilian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)—A Comprehensive Review
2025
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
Unknown
Metadata by DOAJ is licensed under CC BY-SA 1.0
Delivery landing pads for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
European Patent Office | 2021
|DELIVERY LANDING PADS FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAVs)
European Patent Office | 2020
|
Aggressive landing maneuvers for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Aggressive landing maneuvers for UAVs
DSpace@MIT | 2006
|Unmanned aerial vehicles - Drones seek civilian flightpath
Online Contents | 2008