Drone infrastructure glossary
How to interpret MicroportMap's equipment, project and evidence labels.
Drone-in-a-box
A remotely operated drone system in which aircraft can be stored, launched, landed and usually charged by an automated dock.
Docking station
The physical enclosure or platform that launches, recovers and usually powers an unmanned aircraft; a project may have several.
Microport
An informal term for a compact drone operating or landing facility. It is not a claim of certification or public access.
Cargo drone hub
A logistics site facilitating drone delivery or cargo transfer; not necessarily an automated drone-in-a-box enclosure.
Project vs physical site
One research record may describe a pilot, a dock, several docks or a nationwide rollout. Records must not be summed as dock units.
Pilot or trial
A time-bounded test of equipment or operations. Publication does not imply that the installation remains operational.
Reported operator
The organization attributed in the source to operating or managing the project; this may differ from a manufacturer or integrator.
Source year
A date appearing in the record's evidence label. It is not a last-verified operational date.
Indicative location
An approximate country, town or city representative point used instead of sensitive or privately operated facility coordinates.
Public access and permissions
A research record does not offer site access, grant flight authorization, or certify equipment interoperability.