Development of a new acceptance model for drones

The use of drones is becoming increasingly diverse, both in the private and industrial sectors. When controlling drones, a distinction is made between two modes of operation: does the drone pilot always have direct visual contact or can this visual contact also be interrupted or even non-existent? In the European joint project ADACORSA, drones in the second mode are being developed for very different industrial applications: the transport of (hazardous) materials to or within construction sites, the provision of 3D images for mapping the routes of construction vehicles, but also for mapping forest areas and determining individual tree parameters for forestry.

In ADACORSA, HFC is investigating acceptance factors in the use of such drones, both in relation to the employees in the areas of operation concerned and to the population. For this purpose, HFC developed a drone acceptance model at the beginning of the project based on literature, workshops and interviews. The model served as the basis for an acceptance questionnaire, which we created and implemented as an online survey. We are currently conducting one of the largest drone acceptance surveys in Europe. The survey will run for six months and is available in 16 languages. On one hand, the results of the survey will provide comprehensive insights into the conditions under which industrial drone use is accepted in various European countries. On the other hand, the results will aid to finalise and validate our drone acceptance model.

The project is funded by the EU initiative "Electronics Components and Systems for European Leadership" (ECSEL) under grant number 876019. The consortium consists of 48 project partners from all over Europe.