Flying Ad-Hoc Networks (FANETs): A Review

INTRODUCTION: FANETs are a type of wireless communication network consisting of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones that work collaboratively to process data and attain optimal results. These networks have achieved significant attention due to their potential applications in diverse engineering fields. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of FANET, covering various aspects related to its classification, architecture, communication types, mobility models, challenges, characteristics, and design. It also discusses the importance of routing protocols and topology in FANETs. Furthermore, this paper identifies and presents open issues and challenges in the field of FANETs, urging researchers to focus on exploring and addressing these essential parameters and research areas. OBJECTIVES: This paper will aims to promote further investigation and advancement in the field of FANETs and similar networks, enabling researchers to explore and overcome the challenges to unleash the full potential of these UAV-based ad-hoc networks shortly. METHODS: The data used in this paper was gathered from various research papers. A brief comparison among FANETs, MANETs, and VANETs has been shown and highlighted the main points. This paper also elaborates the general architecture, mobility models, routing, routing protocols in FANETs. RESULTS: It was discovered that the use of both deterministic and probabilistic techniques is suggested to enhance the performance and efficiency of FANETs. By combining these methods, the paper suggests that better results can be achieved in terms of network reliability, adaptability, and overall performance. CONCLUSION: This paper discusses the importance of routing protocols and topology in FANETs. Furthermore, this paper identifies and presents open issues and challenges in the field of FANETs, urging researchers to focus on exploring and addressing these essential parameters and research areas. Copyright © 2024 T. K. Bhatia et al., licensed to EAI. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which permits copying, redistributing, remixing, transformation, and building upon the material in any medium so long as the original work is properly cited.