UAV-aided data and energy integrated network: System design and prototype development

Terminal devices deployed in outdoor environments are facing a thorny problem of power supply. Data and energy integrated network (DEIN) is a promising technology to solve the problem, which simultaneously transfers data and energy through radio frequency signals. State-of-the-art researches mostly focus on theoretical aspects. By contrast, we provide a complete design and implementation of a fully functioning DEIN system with the support of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV can be dispatched to areas of interest to remotely recharge batteryless terminals, while collecting essential information from them. Then, the UAV uploads the information to remote base stations. Our system verifies the feasibility of the DEIN in practical applications.