A scientometric review of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and transportation science

The rapid evolution of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is transforming modern transportation ecosystems. From the development of mathematical models and heuristics to improve UAV-assisted last-mile parcel deliveries to real-time traffic monitoring efforts, UAV technology now permeates nearly every subdomain of transportation science. However, because these innovations are developing both quickly and concurrently, many potential synergies between research fields go unnoticed. This paper leverages a suite of scientometric approaches to provide a comprehensive mapping of the primary subdomains shaping the intersection of unmanned aerial systems and transportation research. The results reveal that while hybrid truck-drone logistics operations remain a focal area for research, urban infrastructure inspection and surveillance applications are also growing. However, these applications are strongly dependent upon advances in localization processes developed in allied fields. The paper concludes with a prospective look at the future of UAVs and transportation research.