Edge computing meets aerial robotics: Expanding simulators to support drone operations.

• Grant number: 24/17612-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Telecommunications
• Principal Investigator: Christian Rodolfo Esteve Rothenberg
• Grantee: Ibini Anuar da Silva Lima de Santana
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação (FEEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação (FEEC)
• Associated research grant: 21/00199-8 - SMART NEtworks and ServiceS for 2030 (SMARTNESS), AP.PCPE

Abstract

As drones become increasingly integrated into various sectors - from logistics and agriculture to emergency response and urban planning - the need to understand and optimize their interactions with edge computing environments is more critical than ever. Drones rely on real-time data processing and low-latency communication, best handled by edge computing frameworks. While real-world scenarios offer invaluable insights, using simulators for different sectors (e.g., urban planning and delivery) provides some advantages. For instance, simulators allow for testing and experimentation in controlled environments with safety and reduced expenses while reproducing different conditions and hypothetical scenarios - e.g., rescuing people during an earthquake. However, edge simulators cannot accurately model drone operations in tandem with network conditions. Despite providing valuable insights into edge computing scenarios, they lack comprehensive support for drone-specific operations and the dynamic network conditions that affect them. This proposal will bridge the gap between network simulation and drone behavior, enabling more accurate and holistic simulations of edge environments. To achieve this, the possibility of integrating simulators will be explored that consider mobility and resource management at the edge of the network (e.g., EdgeSimPy, MobFogSim) and their integration with urban mobility simulators (e.g., SUMO, UTSim). We believe this integration will enable research activities within the SMARTNESS ERC to adequately study the complex interactions between drones, edge computing networks, and urban infrastructure, leading to improved decision-making and optimization of drone-based systems.