Drone-Car Collaboration for Advanced Mobility: A Survey

In recent years, the automotive industry and research communities have increasingly focused on exploring the potential of drones (also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs) to enhance ground vehicles. This exploration has opened a new avenue, termed "Drone-Car Collaboration", which presents exciting possibilities for joint operations. The collaboration between drones and cars promises increased situational awareness, expanded capabilities, enhanced driving safety, improved fuel efficiency, and novel applications. However, a detailed study is vital to understand the current progress and challenges in the drone-car domain. This paper presents the first comprehensive survey on drone-car collaboration, highlighting its many potential benefits. We explore state-of-the-art use cases and enabling technologies, and discuss future directions for realistically implementing drones in collaboration with ground vehicles.