Secure Communication for Multiquadrotor Networks Using Ethereum Blockchain

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-1-2021

Abstract

Ethereum blockchain is a powerful, open-source technology for creating decentralized and secure information sharing systems. The main contribution of this article is the experimental validation of an Ethereum blockchain-based software and hardware architecture that enables secure communication for multiple small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAVs). The experiments involved three DJI M100 quadrotors that shared images captured during flight based on smart contracts created using Ethereum's Turing complete programming language. The smart contract was designed so that only the intended recipient sUAV could access a specific image. The effect of image size, difficulty level, and consensus algorithms on image transfer times during flight are noted and point to the feasibility of this system in practical missions. The effects of wireless network disruptions on the Ethereum network are documented. The fully documented smart contract code is open sourced to assist readers in quick prototyping. As efforts for decentralization and security of multirobot systems continue to grow, the system architecture and implementation detailed here may serve as a guide for future research.

Identifier

85100269445 (Scopus)

Publication Title

IEEE Internet of Things Journal

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1109/JIOT.2020.3015716

e-ISSN

23274662

First Page

1783

Last Page

1796

Issue

3

Volume

8

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