NeTS: Small: Free Space Optics as Backhaul and Energizer for Drone-assisted Networking

SoarNet(作为无人机辅助网络的回程和激励器的自由空间光纤)旨在同时快速地将数据和能量从接入节点传输到无人机安装的基站(DBS)，该基站可以灵活部署以提供无线宽带接入。也就是说，DBS可以通过光束同时接收高速数据流和能量。接收到的能量被用来为DBS提供动力以延长其飞行时间，并且接收到的数据流通过现有的射频(RF)信道被传送到移动用户(MU)。SoarNet将改变移动接入的游戏规则。通过利用自由空间光纤(FSO)通信和无人机辅助的移动网络框架，SoarNet将显著提高网络吞吐量和MU的服务质量(Qos)，并将推动无线网络和无线充电的最先进水平。建议的研究活动将促进对DBS同时充电和高速传输数据的理解。SoarNet包括三个主要研究努力。1)实现SoarNet架构，在接入节点构建FSO发射器，在DBS构建FSO接收器，同时提供能量传输和数据传输，同时推导出两个数学模型来估计使用FSO作为充电器时的计费速率和使用FSO通信作为无线回程时的传输速率。2)在SoarNet中放置3D DBS，确定DBS的经度、纬度和海拔，在保证DBS资费要求的同时，最大限度地提高向接入网MU下发数据的吞吐量。3)动态接入节点关联和MU关联，将DBS与接入节点关联(即DBS接收来自接入节点的数据流和能量)，并调整DBS的MU关联区(即DBS关联更多/更少的MU来下载其数据)，以平衡接入节点之间的流量负载，从而在向MU下载数据的平均延迟方面进一步提高服务质量(Qos)。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，认为值得支持。

SoarNet (free Space Optics as bAckhaul and energizeR for drone-assisted NETworking) aims to simultaneously and rapidly transmit data and energy from an access node to a Drone-mounted Base Station (DBS), which can be flexibly deployed to provision wireless broadband access. That is, the DBS can simultaneously receive high-speed data streams and energy via optical beams. The received energy is used to power the DBS to prolong its flight and received data streams are delivered to Mobile Users (MUs) via existing Radio Frequency (RF) channels. SoarNet will be a game changer for mobile access. By leveraging Free Space Optics (FSO) communications and the drone-assisted mobile networking framework, SoarNet will significantly enhance the throughput of the network and Quality of Service (QoS) of MUs and will advance the state of the art of wireless networking and wireless charging. Proposed research activities will advance the understanding of simultaneously charging the DBS and transmitting data at high speed.SoarNet comprises three major research endeavors. 1) Actualizing the SoarNet architecture to construct a FSO transmitter at an access node and a FSO receiver at a DBS to provision simultaneous energy transfer and data transmission; meanwhile, two mathematical models will be derived to estimate the charging rate by applying FSO as a charger and the transmission rate by applying FSO communications as wireless backhauling. 2) 3D DBS placement in SoarNet, to determine the longitude, latitude, and altitude of the DBS to maximize the throughput of delivering data to MUs in the access network, while guaranteeing the requirement of the DBS's charging rate. 3) Dynamic access node association and MU association, to associate the DBS with an access node (i.e., the DBS receives the data streams and energy from the access node) and adjusts the MU association area of the DBS (i.e., more/less MUs are associated with the DBS to download their data) in order to balance the traffic loads among access nodes, thus further improving the quality of service (QoS) in terms of the average delay of downloading data to MUs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.