Experimental investigation of aerial–ground network communication towards geospatially large-scale structural health monitoring

Recognizing the importance of realizing integrated remote sensing and structural monitoring for civil structures at a geospatially large scale, this paper first proposes a concept design toward developing an aerial–ground wireless sensing network (AG-WSN) system for improving the efficiency of systems-level structural health monitoring. Upon this design, this paper further investigates the communication interference within such sensing network, which if not understood would diminish the practical value of such a system. This interference arises because of the UAV’s and the WSN’s communication protocols, for which most UAVs use 2.4 GHz radio for flight control and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) for imagery data streaming, and the WSNs often use the low-power ZigBee 802.15.4 protocol at 2.4 GHz as well. With the development of the proposed AG-WSN prototype using commercially available products, this paper experimentally achieves two important findings: (1) the key parameters that affect the short-range Wi-Fi and ZigBee interference and the experimental relations; and (2) the ‘comfort zone’ and the sensitive parameters for the long-range optimal ZigBee transmission between the aerial UAV and the ground sensors.