The growing interest in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from both scientific and industrial sectors has attracted a wave of new researchers and substantial investments in this expansive field. However, due to the wide range of topics and subdomains within UAV research, newcomers may find themselves overwhelmed by the numerous options available. It is therefore crucial for those involved in UAV research to recognize its interdisciplinary nature and its connections with other disciplines. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the UAV field, highlighting recent trends and advancements. Drawing on recent literature reviews and surveys, the review begins by classifying UAVs based on their flight characteristics. It then provides an overview of current research trends in UAVs, utilizing data from the Scopus database to quantify the number of scientific documents associated with each research direction and their interconnections. The paper also explores potential areas for further development in UAVs, including communication, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, miniaturization, swarming and cooperative control, and transformability. Additionally, it discusses the development of aircraft control, commonly used control techniques, and appropriate control algorithms in UAV research. Furthermore, the paper addresses the general hardware and software architecture of UAVs, their applications, and the key issues associated with them. It also provides an overview of current open-source software and hardware projects in the UAV field. By presenting a comprehensive view of the UAV field, this paper aims to enhance understanding of this rapidly evolving and highly interdisciplinary area of research.

翻译：近年来，无人飞行器（UAV）在科学与工业领域引发的兴趣日益浓厚，吸引了大量新研究者涌入并推动该广阔领域获得巨额投资。然而，由于UAV研究涵盖的主题与子领域极为广泛，新入门者往往会因众多可选方向而感到无所适从。因此，对于从事UAV研究的人员而言，认识到该领域的跨学科特性及其与其他学科的关联至关重要。本文全面概述了UAV领域的研究现状，聚焦于近期趋势与进展。基于近年来的文献综述与调研，本文首先依据飞行特性对UAV进行分类，继而利用Scopus数据库量化各研究方向相关科学文献数量及其关联性，系统呈现当前UAV研究趋势。文章还探讨了UAV领域的潜在发展方向，涵盖通信、人工智能、遥感、微型化、集群与协同控制及可变形技术。此外，本文论述了飞行器控制技术演进、常用控制方法及适配UAV研究的相关控制算法，并详细分析了UAV的通用软硬件架构、实际应用场景及其关键问题。同时，本文概述了当前UAV领域的开源软硬件项目。通过呈现UAV领域的全景视图，本文旨在加深对这一快速演进且高度跨学科研究领域的理解。