A flexible, low-power platform for UAV-based data collection from remote sensors

Abstract

This article presents the design and characterisation of a new low-power hardware platform to integrate unmanned aerial vehicle and wireless sensor technologies. In combination, these technologies can overcome data collection and maintenance problems of in situ monitoring in remote and extreme environments. Precision localisation in support of maximum efficiency mid-range inductive power transfer when recharging devices and increased throughput between drone and device are needed for data intensive monitoring applications, and to balance proximity time for devices powered by supercapacitors that recharge in seconds. The platform described in this article incorporates ultra-wideband technology to achieve high-performance ranging and high data throughput. It enables the development of a new localisation system that is experimentally shown to improve accuracy by around two orders of magnitude to 10 cm with respect to GNSS and achieves almost 6 Mbps throughput in both lab and field conditions. These results are supported by extensive modelling and analysis. The platform is designed for application flexibility, and therefore includes a wide range of sensors and expansion possibilities, with source code for two applications made immediately available as part of a open source project to support research and development in this new area.