Voo autônomo sob olhar do usuário e sua representação social

Abstract

This study examined autonomous flight from the user’s perspective and its associated social representation, aiming to understand how people perceive fully automated aircraft and which meanings influence these perceptions. The problem investigated involved identifying the elements that affect users’ acceptance or rejection of autonomous flight. The main objective was to analyze the cognitive, emotional, and sociocultural components that shape these representations. The research employed both quantitative and qualitative methods, using an online questionnaire with 65 participants and a structural analysis of evocations through the EVOC software, in addition to statistical analysis of the rating scales. The results showed that the social view of autonomous flight is predominantly negative, with the terms “fear,” “technology,” “insecurity,” and “danger” forming the central core, indicating a strong association of the topic with risk. The scales revealed low confidence in operations without a human pilot, and 70% of participants assigned high ratings to the perception of mental overload, emphasizing the symbolic role of the pilot as an essential element of safety and control. Although expressions such as “future” and “evolution” were present, they were not sufficient to reduce the negative emotional load that characterizes public perception. It is concluded that the acceptance of autonomous flight remains limited and depends on reducing uncertainty and increasing trust in technology. It is recommended that communication strategies, familiarization experiences, and future studies explore interventions capable of reducing risk perception.