Abstract. The article examines current approaches to enhancing the autonomy of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) under emergency conditions. The importance of UAV autonomy for the effective execution of search-and-rescue, monitoring, and emergency recovery operations in disaster zones is substantiated, where traditional methods are often impractical due to high risk to personnel and limited access to incident sites.
An analysis of modern technological solutions is conducted, including computer vision systems with AI al-gorithms, multi-sensor navigation complexes, onboard computing platforms, and algorithms for route and energy optimization. Based on studies from 2022–2025, the effectiveness of LiDAR systems, modular navi-gation interfaces, and edge-computing technologies is evaluated. Key limitations are identified, such as de-pendence on satellite navigation, vulnerability of communication channels, limited energy resources, and restricted computational capacity of onboard systems.
The following development directions are proposed: integration of quantum sensors, adoption of hybrid power systems, and use of adaptive algorithms for collective swarm behavior of UAVs. Recommendations are formulated for standardizing autonomy requirements for UAVs in emergency situations and for estab-lishing testing grounds to validate operational scenarios. It is shown that a comprehensive approach to en-hancing autonomy can yield a manifold increase in the responsiveness and safety of emergency rescue op-erations.

Keywords: unmanned aerial vehicle, autonomy, emergency, technical vision, lidar, AI algorithms, navigation, solar panels, energy consumption, swarm

For citation: Syrovoy G. V., Pobeda T. V., Atroshenko D. V. Pathways to enhancing UAV autonomy in emergency situations. Aerospace Engineering and Technology. 2025. Vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 642–653. https://doi.org/10.52467/2949-401X-2025-3-4-642-653; https://elibrary.ru/QLWRGN (In Russian)

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