The development and terminology used to describe UAVs: Drone, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Unmanned Aerial Combat Vehicle, Remotely Piloted Aerial Vehicle etc.

Ethics of UAVs: Autonomy – who is in control? fail safe systems, reliability, technological superiority (fairness), remoteness – combat from an armchair, privacy – civil legalities etc

Communications Links: The control software compensating for weather etc, sensors, datalinks advanced mission systems, GPS and jamming, integration with ground systems.

UAVs in Defence: Combat UAVs, Peacekeeping UAVs, Observation UAVs, Cost of very high tech UAVs.

Civil UAVs: current and possible uses, civil aviation restrictions, dangers posed to the public by uncontrolled UAVs and UAV fires and explosions, issues around unmanned transport aircraft (possibly airliners in the future).

Powerplants: Battery technology and its dangers; endurance issue; small gas turbines;Wankel type engines, solar power, dirigibles, fuel options.

Micro UAVs: Small multi-rotor ( in a briefcase), micro – flying insect, nano – flying seed, Power, payloads and capabilities of each.

UAV Problems and Issues: Safety, reliability, regulations, how do they apply? Weather, proximity, controlling authorities.

An assignment weighted at 100% consisting of an individual project to specify a UAV for a particular use. The project will include the legal and ethical issues. Write up (max 2000words) marked as 70% for overall specification and 30% for identification and proposals to address key legal and ethical issues (max 1000 words).
Demonstrates achievement of University of Staffs learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Distance Learning using the Blackboard VLE. Use of libraries and on-line research. Learning will be supported by student centred tasks to build towards the final specification project. Links to on-line video and student research will support the materials on Blackboard VLE.

Chichester Aviation Series (2010). Unmanned Aircraft Systems: UAVs Design Development and Deployment. London: Wiley

Blackboard VLE
Library facilities

1) Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the key technologies and ethical and legal issues at the forefront of Unmanned Vehicle technology. (Knowledge and Understanding).
2) Research the requirements for a UAV specification and the latest views in the continuing debate around UAV ethical and legal issues to demonstrate the limits of student understanding of current UAV technology. (Learning).
3) Use comparison methods and source reliability to analyse current work, contemporary problems and/or new insights into the latest developments in UAV usage. (Analysis).
4) Communicate conclusions clearly in written form to specialist and non-specialist audiences. Use other communications methods to identify and compare information. (Communication).