Drones as a service (DaaS) for 5G networks and blockchain-assisted IoT-based smart city infrastructure

Abstract

Recent ground-breaking research in the Internet of Things (IoT) and drone technology has brought about revolutionary advancements in automation, remote sensing, and remote operations. Drones have gained massive popularity in IoT applications, like remote monitoring and task automation. Consequently, an innovative business model called Drones-as-a-Service (DaaS), which aims at leasing out drones for commercial use, is gaining momentum in the market. This spike in demand for drones is credited to their ease of deployment, flexibility of operation, and risk-free functioning. To fully utilize the advantages that drones provide and further delve into the flourishing field of drone research, it is essential to acquaint ourselves with the scope of this field and understand the capabilities of a drone. The methodology employed in this survey paper encompassed a thorough literature review to establish a foundation, followed by the design and implementation of a comprehensive survey instrument. As a result, this survey provides a means for the reader to explore diverse drone research topics, ranging from basic drone types and deployment architectures to complex drone networking and communication systems. Intelligence-based enhancements for drone communications and Blockchain-based security solutions have also been discussed. We have conducted detailed comparisons between different classes and architectures of drones, drone communication protocols (WiFi, LTE, 5G, satellites), and drone-enabled 5G networks (Ad hoc networks and Software Defined Networks). Blockchain-based and Intelligence-assisted solutions for 5G-related drone network security concerns have also been discussed. We also highlight the utility of drones in present-day Smart City Infrastructure, ranging across multitudes of applications, as well as in the Precision Agriculture domain and their future scope. Finally, we outline significant security challenges and cyber-attacks faced by drones and their countermeasures, as proposed in the state-of-the-art literature. In conclusion, we end this survey by discussing the future scope and directions of drone research.