Communication Among Heterogeneous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): Classification, Trends, and Analysis

Lalaen Sultan,Sadia Murawwat,Maria Anjum,Humaira Kosar,Mariam Rehman

doi:10.1109/access.2021.3107479

Abstract

In the past decade, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a major research topic in robotics, despite their existence since 1915. UAVs can perform various activities efficiently and effectively; therefore, involving a group of UAVs in performing a certain task has become a growing research trend. Research involving multiple UAVs has been carried out in various areas such as force protection, warfare in the military, remote sensing, disaster response activities, and surveillance. While performing critical tasks, efficiency and robustness are important considerations that can be achieved by involving heterogeneous UAV teams with effective communication and coordination techniques. Communication among heterogeneous UAVs is an interesting and critical research area that needs to be thoroughly explored. In this research, an evidence-based approach is adopted to explore research carried out on multiple heterogeneous UAVs and their communication patterns while performing various activities. A mapping study research technique is employed to systematically collect, analyze, and assess the evidence available on the topic under discussion. The time period defined for this study was set from 2005 to 2019, and 46 primary studies were considered for thematic analysis. The findings show that research studies fall under the category of validation research by constructing simulations to provide a proof-of-concept implementation of the proposed solutions. The communication patterns among heterogeneous UAVs involve various components of UAV communication, networking, formation, and path planning. The application areas that were largely focused on were search, rescue, monitoring, and surveillance missions. The overall trend showed that interest in multiple heterogeneous UAV usage increases over time with a focus on UAV networks, formations, and path planning while considering communication as an implicit part of all these structures. This research has conducted an in-depth analysis of existing research on heterogeneous UAVs and provides classification and trends of various themes emerging within this research area.

Highlights

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), known as drones, have increasingly been employed to perform missioncritical activities worldwide over the past few decades
The analysis of research themes and contexts showed that research on communication among multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is focused on various communication techniques, UAV formations, different multi-UAV networks, and path planning strategies
Studies focused on multiple UAV communication and UAV networks; in later years, research was mainly focused on UAV formations and path planning strategies

Summary

Introduction

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), known as drones, have increasingly been employed to perform missioncritical activities worldwide over the past few decades. UAVs were solely used for military purposes, from world wars to cold wars, and for various surveillance missions. UAVs are largely used for monitoring missions such as prevention of illegal activities, detection of forest fires [2], surveillance and monitoring of borders [3], sensitive or isolated areas [4], and marines and pipelines [5]. In these missions and activities, multiple UAVs are used to perform tasks in coordination to overcome the limitations of a single UAV [6]. Homogeneous UAVs are robust; they are not favorable in scenarios where different tasks with varied

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