Efficient Content Delivery in Urban Vehicular Networks: A Hybrid RSU-UAV Framework

Abstract

Vehicular networks offer many advantages in smart transportation systems, even when dealing with occasional disruptions in regular networks and relying on Road Side Units (RSUs) to share data. For a smooth flow of information to and from smart vehicles in transportation systems, it is crucial to seamlessly switch communication from RSUs to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) when a smart vehicle goes beyond RSU coverage. However, transitioning smart vehicles from RSUs to UAVs in smart transportation presents a significant challenge. This is because the remaining content must be efficiently delivered by UAVs to vehicles to ensure smooth and efficient data transmission. To address this challenge, this study proposes an advanced vehicular network design that divides the responsibility of content delivery between RSUs and UAVs. In this research article, we propose a cooperative approach that unites UAVs and RSUs to enhance content delivery, employing diverse strategies that may overlap or not within the context of smart transportation. The research establishes a robust network structure, clearly outlining the roles of RSUs and UAVs in content delivery. By maintaining a balanced utilization of communication channels between RSUs and UAVs, resources are allocated evenly, ensuring efficient content delivery. We evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies, both overlapping and non-overlapping, and their impact on data rates, throughput, and overall network performance through extensive simulations. The results reveal that our coordinated non-overlapping content delivery scheme yields higher individual RSU-UAV throughput and the sum of which is equal to the total required content size and required throughput.