Software Defined Networks (SDNs) of RF Internet of Things (RIOTs) on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs)

Abstract

The future of sensor systems is moving quickly to the realm of distributed multi-static RF Internet of Things (RIOTs). In this case, any single sensor is limited in its ability to generate useful information but the community of sensors, networked together, create the necessary information. Specifically, the ability to geolocate and track small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) with a set of distributed multi-static mobile RIOTs, e.g. RIOTs on a swarm of UASs, will become more the norm than an anomaly. Optimally networked swarms of small, inexpensive, mobile, unmanned platforms outfitted with RIOTS into an effective sensor suite is a difficult task. In this paper, rather than treat each RIOT as an individual sensor managed individually by the local platform, we demonstrate techniques for creating Software Defined Networks (SDNs) of RIOTS organized at the RF pulse level providing the ability to perform novel methods of detecting, geolocating and tracking both active emitters and passive reflectors of RF signals in highly dynamic environments.