A Critical Review on Technical Standards of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Smart Cities

The integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in smart cities promises to enhance various urban services and operations but presents challenges related to safety, privacy, and interoperability. Safety concerns stem from the high risk of collisions in densely populated areas and the complexity of airspace management. Privacy issues arise from potential unauthorized surveillance by camera-equipped drones, while interoperability challenges involve ensuring seamless communication between UAV systems and urban infrastructure. This paper reviews current technical standards governing UAV operations in smart cities, focusing on their structure and limitations. The review includes a comparison of existing standards and a thematic analysis of key gaps, such as the lack of dynamic collision avoidance protocols, insufficient privacy protection guidelines, and limited global regulatory coordination. To address these challenges, this study recommends refining and harmonizing standards to ensure the safe, efficient, and ethical deployment of UAVs in complex urban environments. Such advancements are essential for ensuring the safe, efficient, and ethical deployment of UAVs in complex urban environments.