UAV based data communication using Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

This paper studies various data collection and transmission technologies and the architectures concerning Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) with the aid of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). The basic communication methodologies between the sensors and the sensor to the UAVs and UAVs to the destination are studied in detail. The architectures that can be used to perform these operations seamlessly and efficiently are explored. The concept of maximizing the efficiency of UAV and WSN by considering numerous impacting factors is studied and a throughput maximization strategy is explored. Different UAV routing mechanisms to decrease the loss in packet data during transmission are considered and an extensive study on this topic is presented. The energy consumption and overall efficiency of the UAV based communication model have been studied in a comparative perspective weighing down the pros and cons of one over the other. An opportunistic communication algorithm gives a more dynamic outlook to the UAV routing problem and also enhances the efficiency of the overall system. Finally, the identified problems in the previous related work are listed and an alternative solution is proposed. The proposed solution deals with the dynamic routing of UAV while sensing information from sensors and also sheds some light on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) which is used to determine the best route for the UAV to fly for maximum throughput. The major factors that impact the decision making process of choosing a route, which is further incorporated in the PHY-MAC layer are also identified.