Improved Autonomy for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Unstructured Environments

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Global spending on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is predicted to grow dramatically from USD 4 billion in 2015 to USD 14 billion by 2025, which is a total of USD 93 billion in a decade (source: Teal Group). Military research is expected to add USD 30 Billion in spending over this decade. This remarkable growth is because UAVs extend and complement human capability to do difficult jobs faster, more accurately, safer, and at a reduced budget. Civilian applications include disaster recovery in regions where humans cannot survive, or inspection of infrastructure such as electrical transmission lines covering vast expanses of inaccessible land. UAVs are part of a robotics revolution in the military where they are often used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). They are key to the future of military forces worldwide, and in particular to that of Canada’s Air Force as mentioned in strategic planning documents such as “Projecting Power Trends Shaping Canada’s Air Force in the Year 2019” by the Canadian Forces Air Warfare Center.