ARPAS Member, Paul Cureton, drone pilot and Senior Lecturer in Design at Imagination Lancaster and member of the Data Science Institute, Lancaster University, UK, has published

Drone Futures explores new paradigms in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in landscape and urban design. UAS or drones can be deployed with direct application to the built environment; this book explores the myriad of contemporary and future possibilities of the design medium, its aesthetic, mapping agency, AI, mobility and contribution to smart cities.

These aircraft have the potential to change our cities. However, they need to be tested extensively in urban airspace. A study conducted by Airbus found that public concerns about VTOL use focused on the safety of those on the ground and noise emissions.

The widespread adoption of drones and VTOL will lead to new architecture and infrastructure. Existing buildings will require adaptations: landing pads, solar photovoltaic panels for energy efficiency, charging points for delivery drones, and landscaping to mitigate noise emissions.

Biography

Paul Cureton is a drone pilot and Senior Lecturer in Design at Imagination Lancaster and member of the Data Science Institute, Lancaster University, UK. His research interest revolves around the agency and expression of futures and methods in landscape and architecture in the built environment. This research interest has manifested itself in the exploration of the power of urban visions and speculative futures, the history and future of vertical urbanism through drones and the use of 3D mapping, geo-design and digital twins for urban design and planning. His recent publications include the monograph Strategies for Landscape Representation: Digital and Analogue Techniques (2016). He is co-author, with Nick Dunn, of Future Cities: A Visual Guide (2020).