Reliable long-range communication for medical cargo UAVs using low-cost, accessible technology

UAVs used for humanitarian applications require simple, accessible and reliable technology. In this study, a low-cost, long-range, multi-UAV communication system was designed to support medical cargo drone delivery in rural areas. The design was built on the premises of simplicity, accessibility and reliability. Three dissimilar communication links - cellular, SMS and satellite - were selected to provide progressive fallback with decreasing availability of cellular coverage in rural areas. Other components of the system such as the user interface were also designed with the concept of simplicity. Preliminary lab tests were conducted as a first pass verification of the system effectiveness. The findings were a proof-of-concept that it was possible to design a multi-UAV communication system using low-cost, accessible equipment that could be operated by non-technical personnel, yet at the same time ensure reliable communication. Such advantages made the design more suited for medical drone delivery in rural areas as compared to commercial GCS. Limitations (e.g. high latency) and future work (e.g. performing flight tests in real world environments) were discussed. Conversations with stakeholders showed that the potential use case involved supporting a rural hospital in medical cargo drone delivery to surrounding villages and medical outposts.