Laser communications system with drones as relay medium for healthcare applications

Adeeb Sait; Tawfik Al-Hadhrami; Faisal Saeed; Shadi Basurra; Sultan Noman Qasem

doi:10.7717/peerj-cs.1759

Laser communications system with drones as relay medium for healthcare applications

PeerJ Comput Sci. 2024 Feb 7:10:e1759. doi: 10.7717/peerj-cs.1759. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Adeeb Sait^#¹, Tawfik Al-Hadhrami^#¹, Faisal Saeed², Shadi Basurra², Sultan Noman Qasem³

Affiliations

¹ Computer Science Department, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
² DAAI Research Group, College of Computing and Digital Technology, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
³ Computer Science Department, College of Computer and Information Sciences, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

This article introduces a prototype laser communication system integrated with uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), aimed at enhancing data connectivity in remote healthcare applications. Traditional radio frequency systems are limited by their range and reliability, particularly in challenging environments. By leveraging UAVs as relay points, the proposed system seeks to address these limitations, offering a novel solution for real-time, high-speed data transmission. The system has been empirically tested, showcasing its ability to maintain data transmission integrity under various conditions. Results indicate a substantial improvement in connectivity, with high data transmission success rate (DTSR) scores, even amidst environmental disturbances. This study underscores the system's potential for critical applications such as emergency response, public health monitoring, and extending services to remote or underserved areas.

Keywords: Healthcare advance communications; Laser communications; Remote communications; UAV-drones.

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) through Research Partnership Program no RP-21-07-09. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.