CNS Core: Small: 3D RF/FSO Mesh Networking with Challenged Infrastructure

随着无人驾驶飞行器（uav）逐渐成为民用生活的一部分，它们的有效利用为改善人们的一般无线体验和提供更好的无线接入提供了重要的机会。在没有蜂窝基础设施支持的情况下，在低海拔地区，在稀缺的无线电频谱上管理设备的密集部署并非易事。基于无人机的覆盖和地面设备对设备（D2D）通信援助有潜力在全国范围内销售和部署，用于在灾害响应和缓解期间在受到挑战的基础设施下工作的第一反应小组，以及其他商业应用。如果无人机能够同时利用射频（RF）和自由空间光学（FSO）通信，并在稀缺无线频谱的使用效率上提供超线性增长，那么它们可以通过形成3D网格网络来实现更好的高度复用。为了实现这种混合RF/FSO 3D网格网络和在挑战基础设施下的无线接入供应，本项目研究无人机制导D2D通信，采用配备机械和电子操纵定向FSO通信模块的无人机进行空间复用，设计RF/FSO通信链路的3D网格网络协议，实现智能高度复用。该项目将为研究生和本科生提供无人机技术新兴领域的指导机会。随着UCF最近被归类为西班牙裔服务机构，该项目也将为少数群体参与前沿研究提供一个很好的机会。该项目可能的成果包括新型无人机平台设计，用于无人机间通信的多元素FSO模块，以及3D RF/FSO网状网络拓扑和协议设计。智能方面的优点包括：(i)对流层高度的3D网格网络的机会性集成，通过具有高度定向FSOC收发器的无人机将其空间重用到传统RF技术中；（ii）在集群内单独或在不协调的多无人机集群存在的情况下，操纵定向收发器和3D无人机拓扑配置的能力；（iii）考虑无人机高度、信道频率和方向性以及剩余能量的3D路由协议；（iv）在基础设施或带外射频信道支持最少的情况下，发现和维护无人机之间的自由通信链路的技术；(v)最优的多单元全双工FSO收发器设计和3D移动平铺；（vi）用于无人机的低尺寸、低重量和低功率因数球形和/或保形收发器设计；（vii）基于无人机的实验性D2D通信系统原型，以演示基于无人机的3D网格网络的可行性，并评估所提出机制的有效性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

As Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are becoming part of civilian life, there is a significant opportunity in their effective utilization for improving the general wireless experience of people and provisioning better wireless access. With no cellular infrastructure support, at low altitudes, managing dense deployment of devices on the ground over the scarce radio spectrum is not trivial. UAV-based coverage and aid of device-to-device (D2D) communications on the ground has the potential to be marketed and deployed across the nation for first responder teams operating under challenged infrastructure during disaster response and mitigation, and other commercial applications. UAVs can enable better altitude reuse by forming a 3D mesh network if they can utilize both radio frequency (RF) and free-space optical (FSO) communication and offer super-linear increases in the usage efficiency of the scarce wireless spectrum. To realize such hybrid RF/FSO 3D mesh networking and wireless access provisioning under challenged infrastructure, this project investigates UAV-guided D2D communications, employing UAVs equipped with mechanically and electronically steered directional FSO communication modules for spatial reuse, and designing 3D mesh network protocols of RF/FSO communication links for smart altitude reuse. The project will provide graduate and undergraduate students with mentorship opportunities in the emerging field of UAV technology. With UCF being recently categorized as a Hispanic Serving Institution, the project will also offer a great opportunity for involving minority groups in cutting edge research.Possible outcomes from this project include novel UAV platform designs, multi-element FSO modules for inter-UAV communication, and 3D RF/FSO mesh network topology and protocol designs. The intellectual merits include: (i) Opportunistic integration of 3D mesh networks at Troposphere altitudes for spatial reuse into legacy RF technologies via UAVs with highly directional FSOC transceivers; (ii) Capability of steering directional transceivers and 3D UAV topology configuration both individually within a cluster and in the presence of uncoordinated multiple clusters of UAVs; (iii) 3D routing protocols that consider altitude, channel frequency and directionality, and residual energy of UAVs; (iv) Techniques to discover and maintain an FSO link between UAVs with minimal support from infrastructure or out-of-band RF channels; (v) Optimal multi-element full-duplex FSO transceiver design and tiling for 3D mobility; (vi) Low size, weight and power factor spherical and/or conformal transceiver design for UAVs; and (vii) Prototype of an experimental UAV-based D2D communications system to demonstrate the feasibility of UAV-based 3D mesh networking and assess the effectiveness of the proposed mechanisms.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.