Titulo Estágio
Improving Connectivity on Mission Critical Services
Áreas de especialidade
Comunicações, Serviços e Infraestruturas
Sistemas Inteligentes
Local do Estágio
CISUC
Enquadramento
In recent years, the demand for mission-critical services—such as emergency response, military operations, and disaster relief—has intensified due to the increasing frequency of natural disasters, global conflicts, and public health emergencies. These services rely heavily on the timely and reliable delivery of information, supplies, and personnel. Traditional routing methods, which often depend solely on terrestrial transportation networks or isolated communication systems, struggle to meet the demands of these high-stakes environments. Inaccessibility due to damaged infrastructure, remote terrain, or hostile conditions can significantly hinder the effectiveness of ground-based solutions.
To overcome these limitations, modern mission-critical operations are increasingly incorporating diverse platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) and satellite communication systems. Drones offer rapid deployment and access to hard-to-reach areas, while satellites provide global coverage and support communications in regions lacking terrestrial infrastructure. However, integrating these technologies into a cohesive routing and coordination system poses significant challenges. Differences in mobility, data transmission protocols, and environmental constraints create complex logistical and communication hurdles that current routing frameworks are ill-equipped to handle.
Despite advancements in each individual domain—terrestrial, aerial, and orbital—the lack of an integrated routing solution prevents full operational synergy. Existing research often addresses these domains in isolation, missing opportunities to optimize performance across all layers simultaneously. There is a clear need for a unified, adaptive routing framework that can intelligently coordinate between these different systems to support mission-critical functions. Such a solution would not only improve the speed and reliability of responses but also enhance the resilience and scalability of mission infrastructures in increasingly unpredictable operational landscapes.
To evaluate the work, the student will consider uncertain scenarios with connectivity issues, such as forest fires, and measure the effectiveness of using UAVs to provide communications in areas where it is not possible to reach.
References:
- S. Sharif, S. Zeadally, and W. Ejaz, ‘Space-aerial-ground-sea integrated networks: Resource optimization and challenges in 6G’, Journal of Network and Computer Applications, vol. 215, p. 103647, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.jnca.2023.103647.
- D. Zhou, M. Sheng, J. Li, and Z. Han, ‘Aerospace Integrated Networks Innovation for Empowering 6G: A Survey and Future Challenges’, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 975–1019, 2023, doi: 10.1109/COMST.2023.3245614.
- B. Sousa, H. Silva, N. Godinho, and M. Curado, ‘Service function chaining for mission critical services’, ITU J-FET, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 92–103, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.52953/WEOF2066.
Objetivo
The goal of this work is to develop a unified routing framework that addresses the complexities of delivering mission-critical services through an integrated network of terrestrial vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and satellite communication systems. In scenarios such as disaster response, military operations, or emergency healthcare delivery, ensuring reliable and efficient routing across heterogeneous platforms is paramount. Current routing solutions are uncapable to ensuring communication for this type of scenarios and lack the adaptability required for dynamically changing environments. This research aims to bridge this gap by designing a holistic routing algorithm that enables seamless interoperability and resilient performance under high-stakes conditions.
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 1
- Literature review of cloud-fog architectures, UAV and satellite communications
- Literature review of routing techniques and protocols
- Implementation of a preliminary algorithm
- Writing of the intermediate report
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 2
- Development of a robust and scalable routing algorithm
- Experimental evaluation
- Writing of the final report
Condições
The work is to be executed at the laboratories of the CISUC’s NCS group. A workplace will be provided as well as the required computational resources.
Observações
Advisors: Noé Godinho (noe@dei.uc.pt) and Bruno Sousa (bmsousa@dei.uc.pt)
Orientador
Noé Godinho / Bruno Sousa
noe@dei.uc.pt 📩