UNSY 501 - Application of Unmanned Systems by Scott Cowan

Introduction Over the next two decades I believe that the unmanned technology that will have the biggest impact on society will be the Unmanned Aircraft System or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. UAVs today already play a big part in with the explosion of the personally owned UAV. But moving forward, I think the commercial side of the UAV market will have the greatest impact on society. Gross Domestic Impact McKinsey & Company, estimates that the commercial drone industry that was valued at an estimated $1 billion in 2017, will grow to over $46 billion by 2026. (McKinsey, 2017). Investments are quickly growing in the UAV industry for current UAV mission applications as well as newly discovered applications. Applications One new UAV application that is getting attention is the air-taxi application. Although still in early development, the air-taxi business in one that is promising. One hurdle for this application will be public acceptance. Applications f...

Introduction   There are many critical issues to consider when developing strategies on how to implement an Unmanned System (US) for a new mission or operation. First, the mission type and mission requirements must be reviewed and then external factors that may limit unmanned system operation need to be reviewed. Four of those factors that are critical to the mission operation are privacy, ethics, safety and Lost Link or Loss of System Control. For this blog, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) drug interdiction on the high seas will be evaluated and discussed. Privacy  Privacy is always a hot button when discussing Unmanned System operations or “drone operations. The public is concerned about the scenario that puts a UAV hovering over their backyard while a family is enjoying their pool. This, of course, is the extreme case, but there are many concerns like this when talking about drones. Privacy in the case of drug interdiction, however, should not be a factor in my opini...

Human-Based or Unmanned Space Exploration  This week in class we were tasked to research an article about spaceflight that discusses whether manned or unmanned space travel would be the best option moving forward and if spaceflight should still be attempted. The viewpoint I found was Defending Spaceflight, The Echoes of Apollo, by Robert Rovetto. In Spaceflight (Rovetto, 2016) immediately starts the article by defending the need for spaceflight. Rovetto supports that claim with the notion that human beings have the need and the desire to explore, and in this instance explore the worlds beyond. Rovetto continues by pointing out that manned and unmanned space exploration is not an “either-or” option (Rovetto, 2016). Both modes of space travel can exist together and should exist together because each method provides different results. The method of space travel should not be poised against each other. With that said, Rovetto does eventually lean on the side of manned space expl...