PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
July 2017
469
BOOK
REVIEW
Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft
Systems, 2
nd
Edition
Douglas M Marshall, R. Kurt Barnhart, Eric
Shappee, and Michael Most, editors
CRC Press: Boca Raton, Fl. 2016. xvii and 377 pp.,
diagrams, photos, images, tables, index. Hardcover. ISBN
978-1-4822-6393-0.
Reviewed by:
Benjamin W. Heumann, Assistant
Professor, Department of Geography, Central Michigan
University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
The 2
nd
edition of
Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems
is an update and expansion of the 1
st
edition of the book by
the same title. The aim of the book is an introduction and sur-
vey of the topic suitable for undergraduate coursework. In the
preface, the editors state that the motivation for the text was a
lack of a textbook for a university course on unmanned aircraft
systems (UAS). Although the book is designed as a textbook
to compliment other course materials and activities, it is also
well suited as a general survey and reference for professionals
interested in the topic. The book is organized into 17 chap-
ters by subject ranging from history, applications, regulations,
and technical aspects of UAS. The book was written by both
academics and experts from industry, with a different author
or authors for each chapter. Each chapter has a set of discus-
sion questions, and some chapters also include exercise ques-
tions or further readings. The book also contains an “Epilogue”
which provides a summary of each chapter along with recent
updates. There is also an index at the end of the text.
Chapters 1 to 3 serve as an introduction covering the history
of UAS, applications in UAS, and various components of UAS.
Chapter 4 provides an overview of remote sensing with UAS
that many remote sensing professionals will find superficial
but adequate given the limited space and the nature of this
textbook. Chapters 5 and 8 cover regulatory issues including
FAA regulations and Export Control in the United States.
Chapters 6 and 7 detail human factors in UAS operations and
safety assessments including hazard analysis, risk assess-
ment, and safety evaluation. Chapters 9 through 15 describe
the technical systems of the UAS aircraft including aircraft
design, electrical systems, communication systems, command
and control systems, subsystem integration, and detection and
avoidance systems. The concluding chapters, 16 and 17, ad-
dress policy and perception, including privacy and education,
and the future of UAS with an emphasis on market growth
and emerging technologies.
The book is generally well written and presented. Howev-
er, there is noticeable variation in the structure, form of pre-
sentation, and types of content (e.g. figures, tables, equations,
sample problems) between chapters. This is not surprising
when each chapter is written by different authors that come
from across academic fields and industrial sectors. Most of the
chapters are organized logically although in the chapters 2
(“UAS Applications”) and 3 (“The ‘System’ in UAS), there is
noticeable overlap in content and style that feels like more ed-
iting or direction from the editors is needed. Similarly chapter
4 (“UAS Sensing: Theory and Practice”) seems like an orphan
in terms of content compared to the other chapters. The use of
figures, tables, and equations varies greatly between chapters,
likely as both a function of the topic, but also each author(s)
approach. Those chapters that provide these materials beyond
just text stand out from the other chapters. Chapter 12 (“Com-
munication Systems”) especially feels like a college textbook
that guides the student through the materials rather than just
providing an overview on the topic; I would have liked to have
seen more chapters presented in this manner. The technical
chapters, 9 through 15, stand out as the most detailed and
well organized, individually and as a whole. This may be dis-
tracting or confusing for students used to more unified text-
books. Additionally, that lack of consistency in supplemental
content, such as figures or sample problems, makes this book
better as supplemental reading for established courses rath-
er than the focus on the content. Instructors used to working
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing
Vol. 83, No. 7, July 2017, pp. 469–470
0099-1112/17/469–470
© 2017 American Society for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing
doi: 10.14358/PERS.83.7.469
