Design of aerial fog computing with fixed-wing UAVs

One challenge in the deployment of a fog computing infrastructure is the support of demands which are variable in time and space as this can temporarily overload fog nodes. Mobile fog nodes can be promptly dispatched to support dynamic demands, helping to cope with overloaded terrestrial infrastructure. Specifically, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used as mobile fog nodes since they benefit from autonomous operation and maneuverability. However, UAVs are typically battery-constrained and can operate only for a limited time. This paper investigates how fixed-wing UAVs can fulfill the role of fog nodes. These UAVs have different aerodynamics and consume less energy than do rotary-wing UAVs. This paper proposes the Spatio-Temporal UAV Fog Node Location algorithm to determine the position of fog nodes mounted on UAVs.