Framework for Cognitive Radio Deployment in Large Scale WSN-UAV Surveillance

The chapter discusses the integration of heterogenous entities operating together to achieve common mission objectives that have been increasingly adopted for monitoring and surveillance of interest areas and physical infrastructures, under an intelligent environment paradigm. Several technologies have been adopted recently which include, wireless sensor networks (WSN), terrestrial remote operated vehicles (ROV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). In this context, a multi-level system framework for multi-sensory robotic surveillance of critical infrastructure protection through communication, data acquisition and processing is introduced and discussed. Cognitive radio (CR) is seen as a key enabler of the multi-level framework communication, arguing that by exploiting in an opportunistic fashion the time, frequency and spatial stream of the wireless environment, increased communication reliability can be achieved with positive impact on the availability and service level at each hierarchical level. By classification and pointing out the key advantages of CR in such a scenario, we underline the advantages of this scheme within the constraints of a working scenario based on multi-level ground sensor network and aerial robotic platform integration.