Assessing the capacity of man-portable UAVs for network access point localization, using RSSI link data

Field operations in remote locations or within hazardous scenarios benefit greatly from the ability to deploy general purpose networks that can be accessed not only by operation vehicles but also human participants. The existence of these networks allows the transmission of data vital to operation success that otherwise might not have the means to flow. Knowing how the network is distributed and its coverage is therefore invaluable to determine what are the operational limitations for data dissemination. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to detect and locate said access points, and then relay that information back to the ground station, allows for the characterization of the network while maintaining the human element in a supervisory and tactical position. In this paper we assess the feasibility of using a UAV to locate network access points, through Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) data, relying solely on the on-board communication modem. We explore and present different localization methods, in order to determine a robust approach which can deal with GPS position error and range estimation errors. Moreover we articulate key challenges and lessons learned for real world application.