A New Shift in Implementing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the Safety and Security of Smart Cities: A Systematic Literature Review

The rapid rise of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and their integration into smart city initiatives has sparked a surge of research interest in a broad array of thematic areas. This study undertakes a comprehensive review of recent scholarly literature to elucidate key research trends and innovative strategies for applying UAVs in smart cities. Through a detailed descriptive analysis, we identify prominent research clusters, including integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) with UAVs, applying artificial intelligence in surveillance, exploring the Internet of Drones (IoD), and cybersecurity challenges faced by smart cities. It is observed that security and privacy concerns within smart cities receive the most scholarly attention, indicating their central importance in shaping smart city strategies. The review of innovative strategies reveals a strong emphasis on leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance UAV capabilities and ensure drones’ efficient, secure, and ethical deployment in smart city environments. This study provides crucial insights that inform the design of future research and policies in the burgeoning field of smart city development through the use of UAVs.