An Arduino-Based Subsystem for Controlling UAVs Through GSM

Abstract

Long distance and beyond sight of view communication between a ground control station and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is mainly achieved using high-gain antennas, antenna trackers or satellites. These implementations demand expensive, heavy and not easily deployed equipment, while in many cases cannot provide a sufficient communication range. The current work proposes and demonstrates a lightweight and low-cost Arduino-based telecommunication subsystem that is capable of sending control commands to the UAV based on GSM or GPRS the most widely deployed cellular networks standard.

Existing System

UAV Teleoperation Virtual Environment Based-on GSM Networks and Real Weather Effects.

Proposed System

The work presented in this paper opens new perspectives in developing both low-cost and flexible subsystems for transmitting control commands to UAVs, wherever a GSM network is available. The small weight of the equipment makes the implementation possible with even small UAVs. Possible applications include remote UAV access with commands for initializing or adjusting the UAV tasks, even in a different country, or enabling a central base station for controlling multiple remote UAVs, controlling and monitoring their missions more efficiently.

Architecture

Control Commands Process and Interface