5G and UAVs for Mission-Critical Communications: Swift Network Recovery for Search-and-Rescue Operations

• Published in: Mobile networks and applications Vol. 25; no. 5; pp. 2063 - 2081
• Main Authors: Alsaeedy, Alaa A. R., Chong, Edwin K. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.10.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Communications Engineering; Computer Communication Networks; Electrical Engineering; Electronic devices; Emergency response; Engineering; IT in Business; Networks; Rescue operations; Search and rescue missions; Survival; Unmanned aerial vehicles; Wireless communications; Wireless networks; 5G; Human sensors; Discovery time; Search-and-rescue; Public safety communication; UAV; Crisis maps; FirstNet
• ISSN: 1383-469X; 1572-8153
• DOI: 10.1007/s11036-020-01542-2

We introduce a new approach for Search-and-Rescue Operations (SAROs) to search for survivors after large-scale disasters, assuming the wireless communication network cells are partially operational and exploiting the recent trend of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as a part of the network. These SAROs are based on the idea that almost all survivors have their own wireless mobile devices, called User Equipments (UEs), which serve as human-based sensors on the ground. Our approach is aimed at accounting for limited UE battery power while providing critical information to first responders: 1) generate immediate crisis maps for the disaster-impacted areas, 2) provide vital information about where the majority of survivors are clustered/crowded, and 3) prioritize the impacted areas to identify regions that urgently need communication coverage.