Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Opportunities for Developing Countries and Challenges

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) find application in a variety of fields beyond the initial military applications that were focussed on warfare. Advances in electronics have made it possible to make smaller and less costly UAVs that are used for public and civil applications. This paper identifies UAV applications for developing countries especially those in Africa, which will aid socio-economic growth and humanitarian purposes. The applications that were analysed include UAVs aiding search and rescue missions, UAVs in agriculture, UAVs for delivery of objects, surveillance of transmission lines and network coverage. This paper also presents challenges for UAV applications that must be addressed to ensure maximum exploitation of UAV technology by developing countries.