Forensic Analysis of a Crash-Damaged Cheerson CX-20 Auto Pathfinder Drone

Long gone are the days when Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones (multirotor UAVs) were the exclusive domain of the military for surveillance or tactical strike purposes. For relatively little money mainly due to high-tech progression in microprocessor design, anyone can now purchase a drone with GNSS-tracking capabilities and can support a live high-resolution video feed to its flight controller. The global population of drones has sky- rocketed in recent years as this new technology has been embraced for both its recreational and commercial applications. However, the more nefarious members of society have also recognized the potential for using drones to partake in criminal and terrorist activities. In such cases, the relatively inexpensive drones are often sacrificed to facilitate a quick escape once the criminal act has been completed. The pioneering field of UAV/drone forensics has grown out of the challenge law enforcement faces in examining the abandoned hardware for digital traces that can be used to identify the criminals themselves