EAGER: Networked Aerial Base Stations for Enabling Emergency Communications During Disaster Recovery

这一智能互联社区研究项目侧重于开发一种创新解决方案，以便在灾难恢复期间实现应急通信。空中基站可以替代受损的蜂窝塔，并在受到自然或人为灾害影响的第一响应者和公民之间提供蜂窝连接，直到受损的蜂窝塔恢复。该项目将导致对设计和部署空中基站的科学和工程方面的基本理解。它将导致可部署通信系统的概念验证。与普通的蜂窝塔相比，空中基站具有海拔较高的优势。它们为用户提供更好的覆盖和连接。与传统上由蜂窝提供商在灾难恢复期间部署的车轮上的细胞相比，它们可以在灾难发生后更快地部署。该项目解决了快速部署通信系统的能力，这是当今应急通信系统的技术差距。提出的研究探讨了在由于信号塔丢失而无法覆盖或失去覆盖的地区提供蜂窝覆盖的有效策略。它使网络更接近灾难受害者，并在第一响应者和受害者之间传递语音呼叫和数据。在灾难恢复期间对快速部署通信系统的迫切需求使该项目成为高风险和高回报的项目。参与该研究项目的研究生和本科生将获得为受灾害影响的社区开发创新解决方案的实践经验。这一智能互联社区项目涉及当地社区，包括德克萨斯州丹顿市的消防部门和民用空中巡逻队，以及电信和航空业的私人组织。该项目将在2016年和2017年由美国Ignite和美国国家标准与技术研究院联合举办的全球城市团队挑战展览（Global City Team Challenge Exhibitions）中分两个阶段进行展示。

This Smart and Connected Communities research project focuses on developing an innovative solution for enabling emergency communications during disaster recovery. An aerial base station can substitute for a damaged cell tower and provide cellular connectivity among the first responders and citizens who were impacted by a natural or manmade disaster until the damaged cell tower is restored. The project will lead to fundamental understanding of the science and engineering aspects of the design and deployment of aerial base stations. It will result in a proof-of-concept for a deployable communication system. Aerial base stations have the advantage of higher altitude compared to regular cell towers. They provide better coverage and connectivity to the users. They can be deployed more quickly after a disaster when compared to Cells on Wheels which are traditionally deployed by cellular providers during disaster recovery.This project addresses the capability to quick deploy a communication system, which is a technology gap in today's emergency communication systems. The proposed research investigates efficient strategies for providing cellular coverage in areas where the coverage is not available or lost due to loss of cell towers. It brings the network closer to the disaster victims and relays the voice calls and data between the first responders and victims. The immediate need for quickly deployable communication systems during disaster recovery times makes this project a high-risk and high-reward project. Graduate and undergraduate students, who are participating in this research project will gain hands-on experience in developing innovative solutions for communities effected by disasters. This smart and connected community project engages local communities including the Fire Department and the Civil Air Patrol in the City of Denton, Texas, as well as private organizations in Telecommunications and Aviation industry. The project will be demonstrated in two phases during the Global City Team Challenge Exhibitions (2016 and 2017) organized jointly by the U.S. Ignite and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.