Energy Efficient UAV Deployment with Optimized Path-Planning in Post-Disaster Environment

Abstract

Natural catastrophes cause loss of human life and damage artificial infrastructure. In this scenario, the disastrous area becomes isolated, and the loss of communication infrastructure exacerbates the situation. This can interrupt the communication from the base station (BS) with the deployed search and rescue unit, which obstructs finding the survivors. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an appealing choice for providing seamless connection in situations where traditional terrestrial base stations (BS) cannot be installed. Despite that, deployment of UAVs as remote base stations suffers major issues due to the energy limitation, optimal path-planning, and lack of rechargeable sources. A framework is presented in this study to recharge the UAV battery from ground sources to circumvent the energy limitation. Furthermore, a path-planning scheme is proposed to escalate the recharging task while reducing the UAV's energy consumption. Simulation results are shown to justify the applicability of the proposed infrastructure.