The use of drones (or unmanned aerial vehicles, UVAs) in humanitarian action has emerged rapidly in the last decade and continues to expand. These so-called ‘humanitarian drones’ represent the first wave of robotics applied in the humanitarian and development contexts, providing critical information through mapping of crisis-affected areas and timely delivery of aid supplies to populations in need. Alongside these emergent uses of drones in the aid sector, debates have arisen about potential risks and challenges, presenting diverse perspectives on the ethical, legal, and social implications of humanitarian drones. Guided by the methodology introduced by Arksey and O’Malley, this scoping review offers an assessment of the ethical considerations discussed in the academic and gray literature based on a screening of 1,188 articles, from which we selected and analyzed 47 articles. In particular, we used a hybrid approach of qualitative content analysis, along with quantitative landscape mapping, to inductively develop a typology of ethical considerations associated with humanitarian drones. The results yielded 11 key areas of concern: (1) minimizing harm, (2) maximizing welfare, (3) substantive justice, (4) procedural justice, (5) respect for individuals, (6) respect for communities, (7) regulatory gaps, (8) regulatory dysfunction, (9) perceptions of humanitarian aid and organizations, (10) relations between humanitarian organizations and industry, and (11) the identity of humanitarian aid providers and organizations. Our findings illuminate topics that have been the focus of extensive attention (such as minimizing risks of harm and protecting privacy), traces the evolution of this discussion over time (i.e., an initial focus on mapping drones and the distinction of humanitarian from military use, toward the ethics of cargo drones carrying healthcare supplies and samples), and points to areas that have received less consideration (e.g., whether sustainability and shared benefits will be compromised if private companies’ interest in humanitarian drones wanes once new markets open up). The review can thus help to situate and guide further analysis of drone use in humanitarian settings.

在过去的十年中，无人机（或无人驾驶飞行器，UVA）在人道主义行动中的使用迅速出现并继续扩大。这些所谓的“人道主义无人机”代表了第一波应用于人道主义和发展环境的机器人技术，通过绘制受危机影响地区的地图和及时向有需要的人群提供援助物资来提供关键信息。除了无人机在援助领域的这些新兴用途外，关于潜在风险和挑战的辩论也出现了，就人道主义无人机的伦理、法律和社会影响提出了不同的观点。以 Arksey 和 O'Malley 介绍的方法为指导，本范围界定审查基于对 1,188 篇文章的筛选，对学术和灰色文献中讨论的伦理考虑进行了评估，我们从中选择和分析了 47 篇文章。特别是，我们使用了定性内容分析的混合方法，以及定量的景观测绘，归纳地开发了与人道主义无人机相关的伦理考虑类型学。结果产生了 11 个关注的关键领域：(1) 最小化伤害，(2) 最大化福利，(3) 实质正义，(4) 程序正义，(5) 尊重个人，(6) 尊重社区，(7)监管差距，(8) 监管功能失调，(9) 对人道主义援助和组织的看法，(10) 人道主义组织与行业之间的关系，以及 (11) 人道主义援助提供者和组织的身份。我们的研究结果阐明了一直受到广泛关注的主题（例如将伤害风险降至最低和保护隐私），追溯了这一讨论随时间的演变（即最初关注无人机测绘和人道主义与军事用途的区别，以及运送医疗用品和样品的货运无人机的伦理），并指出了较少考虑的领域（例如，一旦新市场开放，如果私营公司对人道主义无人机的兴趣减弱，可持续性和共享利益是否会受到影响）。因此，该审查可以帮助定位和指导对人道主义环境中无人机使用的进一步分析。如果新市场开放后私营公司对人道主义无人机的兴趣减弱，可持续性和共享利益是否会受到影响）。因此，该审查可以帮助定位和指导对人道主义环境中无人机使用的进一步分析。如果新市场开放后私营公司对人道主义无人机的兴趣减弱，可持续性和共享利益是否会受到影响）。因此，该审查可以帮助定位和指导对人道主义环境中无人机使用的进一步分析。