Unmanned systems have evolved significantly on a technological level over the past few years, while prices of such systems shrank constantly. These developments led to that fact that the industry as well as small- and medium sized companies began considering the application of unmanned systems and thus gaining initial operative experience. This article describes the operative usage of drones in critical, industrial infrastructures given the example of port facilities. It introduces initial qualitative frameworks highlighting the operative potentials of the technology. The article is structured as it begins with a general and legal introduction of the drone topic, followed by application in the area of safety and security and concluding with general operative barriers. The outcome is not necessarily limited to the maritime sector but can be applied in other critical infrastructures (e.g. offshore- or chemical industries). This article introduces the topic in general as an extract from ...
