No longer just niche or specialised equipment, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) technology is rapidly evolving, and engineers across a diverse range of disciplines are finding ways to integrate drones into their work.
Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority, or CASA, estimates the nation has three million recreational drone operators. Most of these are the many hobbyists and enthusiasts who fly for sport or recreation and often don’t need to register their equipment, but it’s the smaller group of licensed users, numbering just 35,000, that demonstrates the real potential of UAS in Australia.
CASA requires anyone using a drone for business or work to be licenced as an operator, and that includes the growing number of engineers that are finding UAS technology to be an essential tool.
In fact, Australian government research predicts that, over the next 20 years, emerging aviation technologies will create up to 10,000 jobs, increase GDP by $14.5 billion, and save $9.3 billion in costs to such industries as agriculture, forestry and fisheries, mining and construction.
“UAS technology has many applications in solving real-world problems, from agriculture, transportation, logistics, delivery, and even natural disaster management,” said Associate Professor Hailing Zhou of Swinburne University of Technology’s Department of Mechanical and Product Design Engineering.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for UAS technology in the economy of the near future, and we will need a lot of engineering talent to take advantage of it.”
The sky’s the limit
To meet industry demand for staff skilled in drone operation and development, Swinburne University of Technology is launching a dedicated Uncrewed Aircraft Systems major as part of its Bachelor of Aviation Management. Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) students at Swinburne University of Technology can choose to study units from this UAS major as electives.
“For engineers wanting to work with drones in complex projects, selecting UAS units means that they can graduate with a drone licence up to 25 kg, which is a significant size for a drone,” said Associate Lecturer (Education Specialist) Salim Hijazeen, a PhD candidate in the Department of Aviation.
“The UAS major includes aircraft aerodynamics and performance, which is very important to understand how a drone reacts.”
The major, which will be offered from semester one in 2026, also provides real-world experience via industry placements, and explores UAS operations, design and propulsion systems; airspace management and air traffic services; and communication, navigation and cybersecurity.
“We also look at data analysis,” Hijazeen added. “Because if you want to use a UAS for research purposes, it’s one thing being able to fly the drone; another skillset is required to make use of the data it collects.”
By scaling UAS technology through targeted training, Hijazeen hopes Swinburne’s major will help Australia make the most of its strong opportunity in this space.
“One of our units is a remote pilot licence theory and practicum, which uses a multi-rotor drone up to 25 kg,” he said.
“In that unit, engineers are trained by CASA-certified flight instructors, who provide a lot of information about why CASA does what it does and why its regulations are in place.”
This understanding then helps graduates to incorporate different weight categories into their work and be sure they have the correct licence.
Rules and opportunities
According to Hijazeen, CASA has come a long way in advancing its regulatory framework over the past decade.
“CASA has held many workshops throughout the year where they engage with industry, academics, researchers and operators to understand what regulatory approvals are required,” he said.
“There are opportunities for CASA to take learnings from EASA, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration, which have much more comprehensive regulations embedded in their approach for broader UAS applications.”
That doesn’t mean what works overseas can simply be replicated locally. Hijazeen points out that Australia’s aviation sector is smaller than that of Europe and the United States and will use UAS technology in different ways.
“Mining exploration in places like Western Australia, for example,” Hijazeen said.
“Drones are currently also used in site surveying, environmental monitoring, and by emergency services during fire season.”
An agricultural engineer using a UAS to collect aerial imagery over a large land area, for instance, will need a bigger drone with a more substantial battery than a civil engineer looking to survey the top of a tower to check for structural damage.
Engineers need to plan their drone operations in a way that conforms to longstanding philosophies of aviation regulation. CASA has a roadmap designed to help integrate UAS technology into these existing frameworks, taking into account more complex approvals, integration with crewed aviation, and new risk management requirements.
Zhou highlights the potential for UAS to be used in other fields, such as emergency services to help provide critical health services to remote areas.
“If someone in a regional area urgently requires medicine, we could send out drones to deliver it,” she said.
Emergency services are also exploring the technology to speed delivery of defibrillators to a person experiencing a health crisis, or help provide ambulance response to accidents in rural or remote areas.
“If the rescue workers don’t have a clear understanding of the terrain where the ambulance needs to go, drones can then be used to hover above and warn of any potential dangers in the environment where paramedics or police might be working,” Hijazeen added.
To find out more about Swinburne University of Technology’s new Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Major, visit the Swinburne Bachelor of Aviation Management course page.
