A Review on Deployment of UAV-FSO System for High-Speed Communication

Demand for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has increased enormously due to the accessibility provided by them even for remote/restricted locations. They are widely used for military surveillance, disaster management, backhaul technology, Geo-spatial mapping, etc. They generate more data and are mainly operated with the conventional radio frequency (RF) system. Consequently, UAVs with RF are limited in bandwidth, low data rates, expensive licensing, and security issues. Next-generation UAVs are in need of high-speed data transmission with secure and flexible installation communication technologies. Free space optics (FSO) communication is a line-of-sight (LoS) technology with high-speed, unlicensed, easy installation and secured communication. A hybrid combination of the UAV-FSO system can provide a flexible, reliable, and high-speed communication system. Despite the advantages, FSO communication is limited due to the interaction of laser beam with the atmosphere conditions and strict LoS requirements. On the other hand, UAVs are limited in operation due to finite energy requirements. This paper comprehensively reviews deploying a UAV-FSO system for high-speed communication and focuses on challenges and possible solutions, highlighting the advantages and limitations. In addition, recent advancements and future research directions are discussed.