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Running head: FEASIBLITY OF USING 4G LTE FOR UAV ASSISTED AVALANCE SEARCH AND RESCUE
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FEASIBILITY STUDY OF UTILIZING 4G LTE SIGNALS IN COMBINATION WITH
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES FOR THE PURPOSE OF SEARCH AND RESCUE
OF AVALANCHE VICTIMS (INCREMENT 1)
Research Report
Team Members:
Victor Wolfe, William Frobe, Vineetha Shrinivasan, Tsung-Yen Hsieh
Academic Advisor:
Dr. Harvey M. Gates
University of Colorado at Boulder
Author Note:
This research report was prepared for TLEN 5710 Research Capstone, taught by Professor
Reed, spring 2014.
FEASIBLITY OF USING 4G LTE FOR UAV ASSISTED AVALANCE SEARCH AND RESCUE
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Abstract
This research report uses quantitative data and analysis to explore the feasibility of using
Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution devices that are loaded with an application as a device that
can also help save an avalanche victims life. During the research process we explored the idea of
getting an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to the site of an avalanche quicker than the current search and
rescue process as long as the victims have a Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution device plus the
loaded app on them that is reporting their position. Going into this project our research team did not
know how well Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution signals would propagate through snow. The
study of Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution signal propagation through snow was our primary
focus in this project in order to determine if it is even feasible to use a smart phone as an avalanche
rescue beacon.
FEASIBLITY OF USING 4G LTE FOR UAV ASSISTED AVALANCE SEARCH AND RESCUE
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Table of Contents
I) Introduction.....4
i) Research question.....4
ii) Statement of the problem......4
iii) Sub-problems....6
II) Literature review....7
III) Research methodology..14
IV) Research results and discussion........17
V) Discussion of results..20
VI) Conclusions and future research...23
VII) Acknowledgements .24
VIII) References....25
FEASIBLITY OF USING 4G LTE FOR UAV ASSISTED AVALANCE SEARCH AND RESCUE
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Feasibility Study of Utilizing Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution Signals in
Combination with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for the Purpose of Search and Rescue of
Avalanche Victims
I. Introduction
In this research report we will examine the findings of our research capstone project to
locate avalanche victims using a Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution (4G LTE) device
mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). We assume several factors for this research
problem: 1) an avalanche has occurred and someone has been buried, 2) the avalanche victim has a
smart phone with a locator beacon application (app) loaded and on their person, 3) first responders
have been notified of the avalanche and initiated search and rescue (SAR) operations, and 4) first
responders have a 4G LTE locator device, 5) there is 4G LTE cellular service in the search area for
this first phase of research.
During the course of our research we conducted several tests with 4G LTE devices that
yielded quantitative data that has been analyzed by the team and then modeled in the MATLAB
computer program. Throughout this report, we will clearly define our findings with respect to
relevancy in avalanche SAR operations in the future.
Research question, statement of problem, and problem setting
What is the feasibility of using 4G LTE signals for the purpose of assisting in SAR
operations for buried avalanche victims?
FEASIBLITY OF USING 4G LTE FOR UAV ASSISTED AVALANCE SEARCH AND RESCUE
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The problem setting is a common one here in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. There is
a group of skiers or snowboarders enjoying the miles of backcountry and one of them triggers an
avalanche. Avalanches can be small and localized or can be monumental in scale and catastrophic
to victims engulfed in their fury. In fact, a large avalanche can release 230,000 cubic meters
(300,000 cubic yards) of snow. That is the equivalent of 20 football fields filled 3 meters (10 feet)
deep with snow.[1] When the avalanche has subsided and one or more of the original group of
skiers is unaccounted for, it becomes a real world emergency in which first responders and ski
patrol members are keenly aware. The problem is how do first responders find these victims that
are now under the snow with no trace of where they might be? If there was a way to somehow get
first responders to the exact location of those downed skiers quickly, their lives could be saved and
ultimately the casualty rate for avalanche victims would decrease. The current state-of-the-art
process of avalanche SAR extracts the victim in approximately forty-five minutes. [2]
According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), the chances of survival
are 93% if a victim is rescued within eighteen minutes from the time they are buried under the
snow. [3] The chances of survival are still fair (33%) if found within thirty minutes. The process of
locating and rescuing an avalanche victim has not changed in a few decades. Even in 2014,
avalanche victim SAR is an archaic process of notifying first responders, processing the emergency
call, warming up the helicopter, flying to and locating the scene of the accident then deploying the
SAR professionals. If there was a way for first responders to locate and extract the avalanche
victim in less than the current forty-five minutes, then mortality rates would decline. Two thirds of
avalanche victims will succumb in the critical half hour. [2]
FEASIBLITY OF USING 4G LTE FOR UAV ASSISTED AVALANCE SEARCH AND RESCUE
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Figure 1: Avalanche Survival Curve
Sub-Problems:
Detection
Can 4G LTE signals propagate through snow? If so, how deep and through what
density?
Communication
How will first responders find the victim?
Are there any spectrum issues?
Device access
What communication technologies are widely available that could turn a smartphone
into a beaconing device?
FEASIBLITY OF USING 4G LTE FOR UAV ASSISTED AVALANCE SEARCH AND RESCUE
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II: Literature Review
Since the first aerial photograph was taken using a kite, a camera and a very long string
attached to the shutter-release back in 1883, man has been curious about the possibilities of
unmanned flight. [4] For the purpose of this condensed literature review, we will focus on what is
written about UAV flight as it relates to telecommunications technology used for controlled flight
and capture of images, and what has been published with respect to UAVs and avalanche victims.
We will also review the current state-of-the-art information with respect to what is already known
about avalanche recovery and some of the characteristics associated with 4G LTE that would assist
in direction finding.
The first thing to note is the frequency range of the unmanned Leptron Industrial Robotic
Helicopters (Leptron) that were used in our testing. The Leptron UAV helicopters use the 900MHz
range of frequencies for control, and they also use high tech VSTx video encoder/transmitters that
broadcast multiple 2.5 MHz channels of Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) that is transmitted
at 1.2 5 GHz. [5] Leptron also uses unlicensed 2.4GHz for video transmission back to the UAVs
control panel that controls its video camera. It must also be noted that the types of UAVs the public
can fly recreationally and the ones professional companies such as Leptron produce are quite
different. Leptron helicopters are rugged and are used by public safety organizations throughout the
United States and were even used for event security in Super Bowl XLV in 2011. [6] Leptron
UAVs are built to industrial specifications in their parts, avionics, and communications capacities.
[7]
Military drones such as the MQ-9 Reaper cost millions of dollars and use sophisticated
avionics just like any other military air platform. These highly sophisticated UAVs do not operate
FEASIBLITY OF USING 4G LTE FOR UAV ASSISTED AVALANCE SEARCH AND RESCUE
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on frequencies available to the public, such as the ones listed above, but instead use Ku, C, L, and
S-band satellite frequencies that are encrypted and are received by and processed through a
Compact Multi-band Data Link (CMDL). [8]
There is a small but vibrant community online who are UAV enthusiasts and discuss trends
in UAV flight and video capture technologies. One such online community is www.diydrones.com.
[9] There has been much research on the use of 4G LTE and how it is used to stream the video
back to the UAV controller. However, video streaming is only one feature that 4G LTE technology
allows. In October 2012 Alcatel-Lucent conducted a demonstration and posted it on YouTube
where they flew a small one pound UAV with only a smartphone a distance of 3,280 feet while
streaming video. [10] This was the first instance of documented simultaneous control and
streaming video from a single smartphone device.
Currently the Military is testing a 4G LTE solution code named Jolte