Mobile Network Performance and Technical Feasibility of LTE-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Abstract
:1. Introduction
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- An LTE-powered drone prototype was constructed based on the latest hardware and software available in the market. The developed drone prototype can handle less delayed video streaming, send a real-time location, and be fully controlled using the LTE mobile network remotely. The prototype design can guide future works in this area.
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- A field trial measurement was conducted in a commercial LTE network and suburban environment (university campus). For measurements, the state-of-the-art techniques were used and important parameters, such as RSRP, RSRQ, data rate, latency, and handover, were measured to evaluate the system performance.
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- Performance of the LTE system was analyzed according to the measured parameters and large-scale pathloss channel model. To investigate the feasibility of LTE connectivity for low altitude small drones, the system performance was compared with the requirements established by 3GPP. In addition, the technical challenges of utilizing the current industrial 4G technology for providing BVLoS operations for drones were revealed. Finally, several future works and potential solutions were presented to overcome the challenges and improve the LTE connectivity performance.
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- The drone power consumption was studied and the main power consuming parts were revealed. The results can be used as guidance to improve energy efficiency and drone flight time for future works.
2. Methodology
2.1. Hardware Consideration
2.2. Software Setup
2.3. Experiment Equipment
2.4. Measurement Area
2.5. Comparison of Application for Drive Test
2.6. Field Trial Measurement
2.7. Feasibility Test
3. Aerial Channel Model
4. Results
4.1. Ground Level Field Trial
4.2. Higher Elevations Field Trial
4.3. Uplink and Downlink Throughput Comparison with 3GPP Standard
4.4. Effect of Fly Height on Handover
4.5. Effect of Surrounding Environment on Handover
4.6. Drone Performance Evaluation
4.7. Energy Consumption
5. Reflection: Practical Challenges and Solutions
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Product Available on the Market | |||||
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XB Station [31] | Skydrone FPV [32] | Botlink [33] | Flytpi [34] | Raspberry pi [30] | |
Diagram | |||||
Description | Real-time control with live-feed footage using 4G network Direct API telemetry data connection BVLoS drone control | Real-time control with live-feed footage using 4G network Direct API telemetry data connection BVLoS drone control Camera gimbal control Special software for drone users | Real-time control with live-feed footage using 4G network Direct API telemetry data connection BVLoS drone control | Real-time control with live-feed footage using 4G network Direct API telemetry data connection BVLoS drone control Direct plug and play concept Special software for drone users | Aimed for Real-time control with live-feed footage using 4G network Direct API telemetry data connection BVLoS drone control |
Hardware Requirement | LTE modem Flight Controller Drone Camera Battery | Flight Controller Drone Battery | Flight Controller Drone Camera Battery | LTE modem Flight Controller Drone Camera Battery | LTE modem Flight Controller Drone Camera Battery |
Software | XB Firm | Sky Drone FPV | Botlink Relay | Flyt OS | UAVcast-Pro [35] |
Price | $430 OTP $20/month | $999OTP | $1400 OTP $10/month | $399 OTP $499/year | $39 OTP $59/year |
Elevation | 0 m | 40 m | 80 m | 170 m |
---|---|---|---|---|
Average Uplink Throughput (kbps) | 6451 | 5245 | 5051 | 6737 |
Average Downlink Throughput (kbps) | 41,332 | 20,164 | 24,699 | 7893 |
Average delay (ms) | 25.4 | 24.73 | 23.44 | 36.63 |
Cell ID | Height (m) |
---|---|
1 | 105 |
2 | 94 |
11 | 137 |
12 | 198 |
14 | 56 |
16 | 105 |
42 | 105 |
41 | 88 |
Throttle | Current (A) | Power (W) | Thrust (g) | Efficiency (g/W) | Temperature (°C) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
50% | 2.6 | 28.9 | 290 | 10.0 | 55 °C |
65% | 5.1 | 56.6 | 460 | 8.1 | |
75% | 7.4 | 82.1 | 590 | 7.2 | |
85% | 10.1 | 112.1 | 730 | 6.5 | |
100% | 13.4 | 148.7 | 860 | 5.8 |
Component | Current (I) | Power (W) | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
Raspberry Pi | 360 mA | 1.8 W | 49.29% |
Pi Camera | 90 mA | 0.45 W | 12.32% |
LTE Modem | 290 mA | 1.45 W | 38.34% |
GPS Module | 0.06 mA | 0.003 W | 0.01% |
Pixhawk FC | 0.25 mA | 0.0125 W | 0.03% |
Total | 730.31mA | 3.7155 W | 100% |
3GPP Standard | Performance Based on Field Test | |||
Command and Control | Application Data | TCP | UDP | |
Data type example |
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Latency |
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Uplink/downlink data rate |
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Conventional Drone | LTE-Powered Drone | |
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Data type | Telemetry data Autonomous waypoints update Real-time drone control Video streaming Image feed | Telemetry data Autonomous waypoints update Real-time drone control Video streaming Image feed Real time GPS tracking Navigation database update Transmission for other sensor data |
Frequency | Telemetry: ~2.4 GHz Video: ~5.0 GHz | 4G LTE~2.6 GHz |
Flight distance | Line of sight | Beyond the line of sight |
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Share and Cite
Zulkifley, M.A.; Behjati, M.; Nordin, R.; Zakaria, M.S. Mobile Network Performance and Technical Feasibility of LTE-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Sensors 2021, 21, 2848. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21082848
Zulkifley MA, Behjati M, Nordin R, Zakaria MS. Mobile Network Performance and Technical Feasibility of LTE-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Sensors. 2021; 21(8):2848. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21082848
Chicago/Turabian StyleZulkifley, Muhammad Aidiel, Mehran Behjati, Rosdiadee Nordin, and Mohamad Shanudin Zakaria. 2021. "Mobile Network Performance and Technical Feasibility of LTE-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle" Sensors 21, no. 8: 2848. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21082848