浮空器在应急通信中的应用

Current applications and the prospect of aerostat in emergency communication

浮空器相对于固定翼无人机和四旋翼无人机等一些常规的飞行平台,具备续航时间长或飞行高度高的显著优点,高空超压气球和低空系留气球已经成为应急通信领域一种新的发展方向。以系留气球和高空超压气球在应急通信中的应用为例,梳理了浮空器在应急通信中的应用现状,总结了浮空器在应急通信中应用的显著优势,指出了亟待解决的关键问题,展望了未来浮空器在应急通信行业应用方向。

The emergency telecommunications play a critical role in the disaster risk reduction and it is of paramount importance providing communication services during an emergency. In recent years, it becomes a new direction of development applying the aerostat as a new emergency communication platform. In comparison with the conventional manned or unmanned aircraft, the aerostat provides a larger coverage area and a less delay of the transmission time with longer flight duration. At present, some typical types of aerostats, including the high-altitude super pressure balloons and the low-ahitude tethered balloons, have reached the principle demonstration or test flight stages. One of the best-known projects is the Google＇s Project Loon, which has been successfully used to provide emergency telecommunication services in Peruvian floods and Puerto Rico hurricane disaster. In this paper, the super pressure balloon and tethered balloon technologies and the current development status are reviewed, as well as some key issues related to the aerostat as an communication platform.