Performance Evaluation of UAV-Enabled LoRa Networks for Disaster Management Applications

Area of Science:

• Wireless Communication Networks
• Disaster Management Systems
• Aerial Robotics

Background:

• Traditional communication networks are unreliable in disaster-stricken or remote areas.
• Disruptions and congestion hinder emergency response efforts.
• Fixed gateway limitations cause decoding errors in long-distance mobile communications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a reliable communication system for hostile environments using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
• To enhance message transfer from ground-based Long Range (LoRa) nodes to base stations via UAV relays.
• To improve the efficiency and adaptability of UAV-enabled communication networks.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a UAV-enabled LoRa architecture utilizing ad hoc WiFi networks for message relaying.
• Developed a distributed topology control algorithm for UAVs based on virtual spring forces and movement prediction.
• Simulated the proposed architecture to evaluate Quality of Service (QoS) metrics.

Main Results:

• The UAV-enabled LoRa network demonstrated feasibility for packet reception rate and average delay.
• Improved packet reception rates were observed in the proposed system.
• Nominal buffer delays were maintained, indicating efficient message transfer.

Conclusions:

• UAV-enabled LoRa networks offer a viable solution for reliable communication in challenging environments.
• The proposed topology control algorithm effectively adapts UAV formations to ground node movements.
• This approach significantly enhances communication reliability for emergency response and other critical applications.