Experimental evaluation of personal protective equipment for small UAVs and related issues for safety standards

Abstract

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used for such tasks as pesticide spraying, infrastructure inspection and photography. Because of their widespread usage, accidents are also increasing. Focusing on the risk of propellers for small UAVs, in this study, research was conducted on a quantitative evaluation method for propeller risk with experiments using various types of protective gear, such as cut-resistant gloves, protective eyewear, and safety nets. Preliminary experiments were conducted in which different types of small UAV propeller 15–20 inches in diameter collided with the protective gear. For the cut-resistant glove experiment, the result confirmed the effectiveness of the gloves according to the protective levels of the EN388:2016 standard. For the other types of gear, the experiments' high-speed recordings and objects post collision are observed. The results show that the protective gear, while not risk-free, improved safety during the operation of UAVs and should be equipped carefully. A new UAV-specific safety standard for nets is also needed to ensure safety while UAVs are operated.