Introduction

Drones have a powerful presence in the world and they are key mediums aiding strategic decisions on our environment. Drones are an emergent technology, which will have an ever-increasing impact on our spaces. Drones are ubiquitous (Weiser, 1999) and on the threshold of pervasiveness. Drones are not just an isolated technology, but also a cultural medium, which frames spaces. Consumer and prosumer drones and enterprise drones are all derived from military technology in terms of satellite technology, aeronautics and robotics. Thus, drones have a much longer history and are part of a wider human fascination in the aerial (Corner, 2000). The purpose of this introduction is to set out the various terms used for drones such as RPAS, UAVs, UAS or AVV. From this basis map the design and innovation trajectories of drones, and consider their contemporary and future impact on the built environment. Early landscape projects can be seen by Jörg Rekittke et al. drone survey of Kampung Melayu (Rekittke et al., 2013) and later Karl Kullmann (Kullmann, 2017). Drone futures actively shape the landscape and urban space. Various financial projections support the thesis of an increasing drone market and variety of applications, in infrastructure mapping and surveying, fabrication and robotics, drone AI, vertical take-off and landing passenger aircraft (VTOL), and city information models (CIMs) or city digital twins amongst other areas. As landscape architecture and urban design practice increasingly involves process-driven digital approaches, and robotic interfaces, Drone Futures maps out future trajectories.