Self-Reconfigurable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Networks for Wireless Communication Provisioning

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have numerous applications and profound research potential. They can form an aerial network and effectively act as access points to serve users. In disaster-hit areas, providing communication through infrastructure is impossible due to either time constraints or impracticable ground conditions. UAVs can be promptly deployed in such scenarios, forming a mesh network and thereby providing wireless coverage to the users. Emergency situations can cause unpredictable mobility of users, randomly overloading some cells, called hot zones, for different time intervals. In our first solution to the problem of wireless coverage, we present an initial deployment plan to seamlessly cover a region. To solve the problem of hot zones, we propose a distributed algorithm autonomously and collaboratively run by the UAVs. Later, as an improvement, we present a three-fold approach to handle hot zones. This includes redistribution of load at the overlapped sections, dynamic one-hop and multi-hop UAV movements, and swapping of one-hop peers. Further, we address the issue of air-to-ground channel allocation to UAVs. Our solution considers link aggregation methods prior to theactual movement of UAVs, and eventually mitigating channel interferences by efficient reassignment of channels.