Drone Sensor Market - Size, Share, Industry Trends, and Forecasts (2025 - 2032)

By Drone Type:

Based on drone type, the market is segmented into fixed-wing drones, rotary-wing drones, and hybrid drones.

Trends in the drone type:

• Increasing trend in utilization of rotary-wing drones, due to its ability to fly vertically, hover over a fixed position at a given height, and take off and land in a very small space, is driving the market development.

• Factors including rising adoption of drones for long-haul and heavy-lift applications, military ISR, mapping and surveying, and cargo delivery applications are further driving the market progress.

The rotary-wing drones segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 53.45% in the drone sensor market share in 2024.

• Rotary-wing drone is a type of drone that is completely or partly sustained in the air by lifting rotors revolving around a vertical axis.
• Rotary-wing drones typically consist of rotors that provide lift throughout the entire flight.
• Moreover, the key benefits of rotary-wing drones include its ability to fly vertically, hover over a fixed position at a given height, and take off and land in a very small space.
• Additionally, rotary-wing drones are primarily used in various applications, including aerial photography, surveying, inspection, and others.
• For instance, in May 2025, Cyberlux Corporation introduced its new Group 1 rotary wing drone, which is specifically tailored for the U.S. Special Operations community. The drone is designed to carry heavier payloads for longer durations, while maintaining optimum performance in dense electronic warfare environments.
• Hence, as per the drone sensor market analysis, the rising advancements associated with rotary-wing drones are propelling the market progress.

The hybrid drones segment is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

• Hybrid drones combine features of multi-rotor and fixed-wing drones, in turn offering extended flight times, versatile take-off and landing capabilities.
• Moreover, hybrid drones provide several benefits, including greater endurance, ability to cover longer distances, faster speeds, extended flight time, and others.
• Additionally, hybrid drones are capable of providing extended hover, greater manoeuvrability at lower airspeeds, improved energy efficiency, and relatively quicker take-off and landing capabilities.
• For instance, DJI offers DJI FPV model of hybrid drones in its product offerings. DJI FPV hybrid drone includes high-performance motors and can reach a maximum speed of 140 kilometres per hour. The drone consists of three flight modes, including normal mode, manual mode, and sports mode.
• Hence, as per the drone sensor market analysis, the increasing developments related to hybrid drones are expected to drive the market during the forecast period.

By Sensor Type:

Based on sensor type, the market is segmented into image sensor, speed & distance sensor, pressure sensor, position sensor, light sensor, and others.

Trends in the sensor type:

• Increasing focus on integration of image sensors in drones for several applications, involving surveillance, aerial imaging, mapping, precision agriculture, and others, is driving the market progress.

• There is a rising trend towards integration of position sensors in drones to navigate, maintain stability, avoid obstacles, and facilitate accurate data collection, which is expected to drive the market progress.

Image sensor segment accounted for the largest revenue share in the overall drone sensor market share in 2024.

• Image sensors are designed to capture and convert light into electrical signals, which then creates digital images.
• Drone image sensors are crucial components in drones for facilitating various applications, including aerial photography, surveillance, and mapping among others.
• These sensors are available in different types, including RGB, multispectral, and thermal sensors, each featuring unique characteristics and capabilities.
• For instance, Canon offers CMOS image sensors in its product offerings, which are specifically designed for use in drones. The CMOS sensors offer superior resolution, speed, sensitivity, and lower power consumption to maximize drone capabilities. The sensors can be used for several applications, involving surveillance, aerial imaging, mapping, precision agriculture, and others.
• Thus, the rising adoption of image sensors in drones is propelling the drone sensor market trends.

The position sensor segment is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

• A position sensor is used to provide information regarding the drone's location and orientation.
• Moreover, position sensors enable the drones to navigate, maintain stability, avoid obstacles, and facilitate accurate data collection.
• Position sensors also enable drones to fly autonomously along predetermined routes, maintain stable flight, and gather precise information for various applications, such as mapping, surveying, and inspections, among others.
• Additionally, the integration of position sensors in drones offers several benefits, including enhanced safety, improved operational efficiency, and others.
• Consequently, the above benefits of position sensors are further increasing its adoption in drones, in turn boosting the drone sensor market size during the forecast period.

By Application:

Based on the application, the market is segmented into navigation and positioning, collision avoidance, aerial mapping and surveying, environmental and atmospheric monitoring, payload handling and delivery assistance, and others.

Trends in the Application:

• The trend towards the increasing use of drones in GIS platforms is driving the market adoption in aerial mapping and surveying applications.
• The trend towards rising adoption of technologies such as ultra-wideband for precise indoor navigation and drone swarm control is driving the market adoption in navigation and positioning applications.

Navigation and Positioning accounted for the largest revenue share in the year 2024.

• Drones are becoming increasingly autonomous, with advancements in sensor technology, AI, and machine learning enabling them to navigate complex environments.
• Additionally, the integration of AI and machine learning are being integrated into drone systems for real-time decision-making, predictive maintenance, and improved navigation and control.
• Further, the demand for higher-resolution sensors designed for applications requiring detailed data acquisition.
• Furthermore, the advancements in 5G and other high-speed communication technologies are facilitating faster data transfer and enabling real-time data analysis and control.
• Thus, the integration of AI and machine learning is driving the market progress.

Payload Handling and Delivery Assistance is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

• Drones are evolving to handle larger payloads for efficient delivery solutions which is driven by retail and e-commerce needs.
• Additionally, the advancements in drone technology and the demand for broader geographic coverage is driving the adoption of drones for payload handling and delivery assistance applications.
• Further, the proliferation of LiDAR technology enables accurate 3D mapping and obstacle avoidance, which in turn is critical for safe and precise navigation and landing in drones is boosting the market progress.
• Therefore, the advancements in drone technology are anticipated to boost the market during the forecast period.

By End User:

Based on end user, the market is segmented into defense and security, construction and mining, agriculture and forestry, energy and utilities, consumer, logistics and warehousing, media and entertainment, and others.

Trends in the end user:

• Factors including rising investments in military and defense systems along with growing adoption of drones for efficient target acquisition, search and rescue, surveillance, and other military operations are among the key prospects driving the defense and security segment.
• Factors including increasing investments in agricultural sector and rising advancements in precision agriculture, and growing adoption of modern technologies in agriculture sector for improved crop yield are among the vital aspects driving the agriculture and forestry segment.

The defense and security segment accounted for the largest revenue in the overall market in 2024.

• Drone sensors are often used in military & defense drones for applications involving intelligence, target acquisition, search and rescue, surveillance, and reconnaissance applications.
• They are often used in security and surveillance applications for providing real-time insight into security and emergency situations to facilitate improved control, comprehensive situational awareness, accurate intelligence gathering, and more informed decision making.
• Moreover, drone sensors offer a range of benefits including compact design, resistance to extreme weather, low weight with high power, and increased flexibility in operations, which are key determinants for increasing its utilization in defense and security industry.
• For instance, Airbus offers a complete range of target drones in its product offerings, which offer realistic and cost-effective training for naval air defense, including naval targets, direct airborne targets, towed airborne targets, and surface targets.
• Consequently, as per the market analysis, the rising developments related to defense and security drones are proliferating the drone sensor market size.

The agriculture and forestry segment is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

• Sensors for drones are often used in agriculture drones to facilitate a broad range of applications, including crop mapping, soil analysis, monitoring of irrigation systems, and pest management, among others.
• Moreover, the use of drones integrated with advanced sensors in agriculture industry provides numerous benefits, including remote monitoring of crop health, improved monitoring of field conditions, optimized pesticide spraying, and increased productivity, among others.
• For instance, in July 2025, DJI launched its new DJI Agras T70P,DJI Agras T100, and DJI Agras T25P models of agriculture spray drones. These drones are capable of carrying heavier payloads while supporting multiple application scenarios with improved operational efficiency. The drones also offer intelligent features for completely automated operations.
• Therefore, the increasing adoption of drones in agriculture and forestry sector is anticipated to boost the drone sensor market trends during the forecast period.