Drones may play an essential role in future traffic. As with every innovation, not only is the technical maturity decisive for its success, but also whether the general public will accept it. This paper uses a mixed-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate social acceptance concerning drones. The study included 20 participants and comprised a virtual simulation, a team task, and a group discussion. This way, different aspects of drone acceptance were investigated. On the one hand, a simulative approach was tested to explore the visual perception of drone flights in an urban setting. On the other hand, the acceptance of various drone applications such as civil protection, parcel delivery, and air taxis was studied. Furthermore, this research identified requirements for coordinating and managing future drone traffic. This paper combines two acceptance models from the literature as a theoretical framework: an adoption of Chamata’s and Winterton’s Technical Acceptance Model by Krempel and the Unacceptability–Acceptance Scale by Hofinger.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    A mixed-method approach to investigate the public acceptance of drones


    Additional title:

    CEAS Aeronaut J



    Published in:

    CEAS Aeronautical Journal ; 14 , 4 ; 835-855


    Publication date :

    2023-10-01


    Size :

    21 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English





    The Future of Drones and their Public Acceptance

    Macias, Miquel / Barrado, Cristina / Pastor, Enric et al. | IEEE | 2019


    Public Acceptance of Civil Drones in Light of their Purpose

    Upadrasta, Vaishnavi / Leitner, Rodney / Oehme, Astrid et al. | Elsevier | 2025

    Free access

    The acceptance of civil drones in Germany

    Eißfeldt, H. / Vogelpohl, V. / Stolz, M. et al. | Springer Verlag | 2020

    Free access

    Public acceptance of civilian drones and air taxis in Germany: A comprehensive overview

    End, Albert / Barzantny, Carolina / Stolz, Maria et al. | Springer Verlag | 2025

    Free access

    Droning on About Drones—Acceptance of and Perceived Barriers to Drones in Civil Usage Contexts

    Lidynia, Chantal / Philipsen, Ralf / Ziefle, Martina | Springer Verlag | 2016