Enhancing Urban Mobility through Traffic Management with UAVs and VLC Technologies

Abstract

This paper introduces a groundbreaking approach to transform urban mobility by integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Visible Light Communication (VLC) technologies into traffic management systems within smart cities. With the continued growth of urban populations, the escalating traffic density in large cities poses significant challenges to the daily mobility of citizens, rendering traditional ground-based traffic management methods increasingly inadequate. In this context, UAVs provide a distinctive perspective for real-time traffic monitoring and congestion detection using the YOLO algorithm. Through image capture and processing, UAVs can rapidly identify congested areas and transmit this information to ground-based traffic lights, facilitating dynamic traffic control adjustments. Moreover, VLC establishes a communication link between UAVs and traffic lights that complements existing RF-based solutions, underscoring visible light’s potential as a reliable and energy-efficient communication medium. In addition to integrating UAVs and VLC, we propose a new communication protocol and messaging system for this framework, enhancing its adaptability to varying traffic flows. This research represents a significant stride toward developing more efficient, sustainable, and resilient urban transportation systems.