# A Survey: Future Smart Cities Based on Advance Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
## 2 Important Applications of UAVs in Smart Cities  
UAV infrastructure in smart cities provides a cost-effective and efficient means of data collection, monitoring, surveillance, and infrastructure assessment. They contribute to better urban planning, resource management, emergency response, public safety, and sustainable development, ultimately improving the quality of life for city residents represented in Figure 3.  
UAVs equipped with sensors, cameras, or other data collection devices can capture high-resolution imagery, perform aerial surveys, and collect various types of data. This data is invaluable for urban planning, infrastructure management, environmental monitoring, and decision-making processes in smart cities. UAVs enable efficient and cost-effective data collection, providing accurate and up-to-date information. Drones can inspect critical infrastructure, such as bridges, buildings, power lines, and pipelines. They can reach inaccessible or hazardous areas, allowing for quick and accurate assessment of structural integrity, identification of maintenance needs, and detection of damage or potential risks. Regular inspections using UAVs enhance safety, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the lifespan of infrastructure. Drones are valuable tools in emergency situations. They can be quickly deployed to assess disaster-affected areas, search for missing persons, and provide situational awareness to emergency responders. UAVs equipped with thermal  
Figure 3: Infrastructure of UAV for smart cities [16].  
sensors can detect hotspots in fires or identify people in need of rescue. Additionally, they can deliver emergency supplies to remote or inaccessible locations, improving response times and saving lives. UAVs enable efficient monitoring of environmental parameters such as air quality, pollution levels, temperature, and vegetation health. This data aids in identifying environmental challenges, assessing the impact of urban activities, and implementing sustainable solutions. UAVs can support environmental planning, pollution control, and conservation efforts in smart cities. Delivery drones offer an efficient and environmentally friendly alternative for transporting goods within smart cities [17; 18]. They can navigate congested areas more easily and reach destinations faster, enabling quick and convenient delivery of packages, medical supplies, or emergency response materials. Delivery drones contribute to reducing traffic congestion, lowering carbon emissions, and enhancing logistics operations.  
The advancements in electronics and manufacturing processes have allowed for the miniaturization of controllers, sensors, and processors while retaining their effectiveness. This breakthrough has given rise to compact configurations of UAVs. The potential inherent in this size reduction is vast and offers numerous advantages. In 2016, PwC published the report \"Clarity from Above\", revealing that the addressable market value of drone-powered solutions exceeds USD 127 billion, indicating that the drone revolution is causing significant disruptions across a wide range of industries [19]. Figure 4 provides a schematic representation of the estimated value for some key industries. UAVs, commonly known as drones, have a wide range of applications across various fields due to their versatility, efficiency, and ability to access hard-to-reach areas. Here are some of the key applications of UAVs in different sectors: