Innovative Applications of Drones in Last-Mile Delivery and Emergency Medical Response

Dear Colleagues,

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are revolutionising critical sectors of the economy by offering unprecedented speed, flexibility, and accessibility. They are a transformative solution for last-mile delivery, bypassing traffic congestion in cities and improving logistical efficiency. In emergency medical response, they are already exercising a life-saving impact by quickly delivering vital supplies such as blood, vaccines, and defibrillators to remote or disaster-affected areas. However, the full realisation of these benefits, from autonomous standalone missions to coordinated swarm operations, is fundamentally dependent on the underlying communications infrastructure. Advanced, reliable, and secure wireless network applications are not just additional features, but fundamental requirements for next-generation drone operations.

The aim of this Special Issue is to promote and disseminate cutting-edge research that explores the synergistic integration of innovative drone applications with advanced wireless networking technologies. We aim to bring together new developments, methodologies, best practises, and compelling case studies that address the complex communication challenges and opportunities that arise when deploying drones in these dynamic and demanding environments. By focusing on this critical intersection, we aim to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and enhance the understanding of how wireless innovation can unlock the full potential of drones in logistics and healthcare, aligning with the scope of Drones in terms of applications and communication systems.

We welcome submissions that present the latest advances across all areas of drone applications for last-mile delivery and emergency medical response, specifically highlighting wireless-assisted applications. Topics include, but not are limited to, the following areas:

• Optimized drone routing and fleet management with 5G/6G and C-V2X.
• Lightweight encryption and blockchain for secure drone communication.
• Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and Edge AI for real-time navigation.
• Integration of drones with ground vehicles via V2X communication for hybrid delivery models.
• Resilient communication architectures (FANETs, Cognitive Radio, Satellite Backhaul) for drone swarms in disaster zones.
• Ultra-reliable, low-latency links for time-critical drone-based healthcare logistics.
• Integrated sensing and communication to enhance UAV swarm coordination.
• AI/ML-driven communication and mission planning for autonomous search and rescue.
• Scalable and secure drone swarm communication protocols.
• Novel antenna designs and propagation models for diverse drone operating environments.
• Analysis of policy, regulatory, and ethical considerations for the widespread and socially responsible adoption of drones in public spaces.
• Simulation, emulation, and testbed development for validating wireless communication systems in drone applications.
• Empirical studies, field experiments, and operational insights from the deployment of drone systems in real-world logistics and emergency scenarios.
• Novel AI/ML algorithms for drone network optimization, autonomous control, trajectory planning, and intelligent decision-making in dynamic environments.
• Architectures and strategies for the coordination, control, and distributed decision-making of UAV swarms in collaborative missions.

Dr. Halil Yetgin
Dr. Jiankang Zhang
Dr. Ateeq Ur Rehman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Drones is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.