E-services from Emergency Communication Network: Aerial Platform Evaluation

This paper examines the implementation of an aerial emergency communications network based on a prototype airship. Such ad hoc networks have been proposed as valid options to provide rapidly deployable and resilient communications for disaster relief. The scenario considered is a geophysical or hydrological disaster with terrestrial communication infrastructure either destroyed or severely affected. The deployment of the emergency network is evaluated by real flight tests together with simulated operations of an airship used as an aerial platform. The prototype is a remotely piloted airship operating in unmanned air vehicle (UAV) mode to provide communications research. The trials and analysis deal with logistic facilities, deployment, endurance, power considerations, and other constraints of operation. The basic architecture of the aerial network is presented and evaluated with a communications payload tested with the airship. Such aerial network deployment and operation directly influence the provision of proposed e-services to the disaster area. The results presented in this paper show technical and operational opportunities and limitations for aerial communication network application.