Clustered UAV Communication Control for Bandwidth-Limited Swarms
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The communication bandwidth of clustered drones often exceeds the bandwidth provided by wireless communication, leading to operational challenges in managing large numbers of drones effectively and efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A system, device, and method for controlling communication with clustered UAVs that adjust the number of drone clusters and the number of communication channels to optimize bandwidth usage, allowing multiple drones to fly together safely and efficiently while minimizing communication load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the number of clustered drones is increased to expand monitoring coverage and operational capability, then the monitoring area and task capability are improved, but the communication bandwidth requirement exceeds the available wireless communication bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the large cluster of drones into multiple sub-clusters, each managed by a master drone. This segmentation reduces the communication bandwidth requirement by organizing drones into hierarchical groups rather than requiring all-to-all communication across the entire cluster, thus enabling expanded monitoring coverage without proportionally increasing communication bandwidth consumption.
2Productivity
If the number of communication channels is increased to accommodate more drone clusters, then the number of drone clusters that can be managed is improved, but the communication load and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Master drones serve as intermediaries between individual slave drones and the ground control system. Each master drone aggregates communication from its subordinate slave drones and communicates with the ground control through a single channel. This intermediary role reduces the total number of communication channels required, managing more drone clusters without proportionally increasing communication load or system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If drones operate independently with individual GPS coordinates, then each drone can execute its own mission, but the system lacks coordination and cannot achieve true swarm flight capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the drone fleet into hierarchical clusters with master and slave roles. Each cluster maintains individual mission execution capability through the master drone, while slave drones coordinate with their master for swarm-level tasks. This segmentation enables both independent mission execution and coordinated swarm flight by operating at multiple organizational levels simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges individual drone operations with swarm-level coordination through the master-slave hierarchy. Slave drones maintain individual GPS coordinates and mission parameters while being grouped under master drones that coordinate swarm behaviors. This merging allows drones to simultaneously execute individual missions and participate in coordinated swarm activities like formation flying and collective obstacle avoidance.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a system and device for controlling communication with clustered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a storage medium on which a computer program is recorded. The system includes a server and a plurality of drone clusters configured to establish communication channels with the server and communicate with each other. Each of the plurality of drone clusters includes a master drone and slave drones configured to form a cluster with the master drone. To minimize the number of communication channels, a certain number of drone clusters are formed as the plurality of drone clusters with a master drone and a certain number of slave drones in each drone cluster.