Real-Time Video Relay for UAV Traffic Surveillance Systems Through Available Communication Networks

The unmanned aerial vehicle can be an efficient and economical solution to real-time surveillance of highway traffic. This paper describes a data link that connects the camera onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle to the monitoring terminals in the office of the Michigan Department of Transportation. A video signal captured by the surveillance camera can be either displayed on the terminals in real time, or stored on ground for future off-line analysis. The video signal is relayed via available mobile communication networks. An addition server is used in practice to guarantee the consistency of data flow and high throughput of the communication channel.