Droning on About Drones—Acceptance of and Perceived Barriers to Drones in Civil Usage Contexts

The word “drone” is commonly associated with the military. However, the same term is also used for multicopters that can be and are used by civilians for a multitude of purposes. Nowadays, drones are tested for commercial delivery of goods or building inspections. A survey of 200 people, laypersons and active users, on their acceptance and perceived barriers for drone use was conducted. In the present work, user requirements for civil drones in different usage scenarios with regard to appearance, routing, and autonomy could be identified. User diversity strongly influences both acceptance and perceived barriers. It was found that laypeople rather feared the violation of their privacy whereas active drone pilots saw more of a risk in possible accidents. Drones deployed for emergency scenarios should be clearly recognizable by their outward appearance. Also, participants had clear expectations regarding the routes drones should and should not be allowed to use.