Citation

Magister T. Safety Sci. 2010; 48(10): 1313-1320.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ssci.2010.04.012

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Operational restrictions are imposed upon small unmanned aircraft systems weighing up to 15 kg, denying them access to the airspace over populated areas because of, for one reason, the dearth of reliable data defining the complex risks associated. Injury biomechanics resulting from blunt ballistic impact is used for small unmanned aircraft system injury potential assessment. Small unmanned aircraft injury potential correlates to the impact kinetic energy and characteristic diameter of its part that contacts the body. The injury severity of small unmanned aircraft can be less than serious in impacts at minimal airspeed that contact the body with their sufficiently blunt part; however, they are capable of inflicting lethal injury, even when impacting at minimal airspeed, if they impact the body with their sharper part. Consequently, for injury minimization the small unmanned aircraft basic operational and physical design criteria are described regarding impact velocity and attitude upon impact, along with the shape of the airframe part that contacts the body.