Term 252

SkyLink

Project Type: Self-Initiated

Project Description

This project presents SkyLink, an integrated autonomous drone docking and communication system developed for smart city infrastructure monitoring in Saudi Arabia. Rapid urban expansion has increased the need for efficient, safe, and data-driven inspection of roads and public infrastructure. Conventional inspection approaches rely on manual labor, traffic disruption, and reactive maintenance, resulting in high operational costs and delayed damage identification. SkyLink addresses these challenges through a multidisciplinary system combining an autonomous multirotor UAV, a regulated 50 W contact-based docking and charging station, and a cloud-based defect analysis platform. The drone executes predefined waypoint missions over inspection areas within a 100 m operational radius, capturing 1080p road imagery while maintaining a cruise speed of 3–7 m/s. Energy analysis confirms a validated maximum flight endurance of approximately 21 minutes using a 4S 6000 mAh lithium-ion battery, satisfying the ≥20-minute endurance specification. Autonomous return-to-home is triggered at a 20% battery threshold, ensuring safe recovery with a sufficient energy margin. Upon docking, buffered image data is transmitted to a cloud-based processing pipeline utilizing lightweight object detection algorithms configured to achieve a projected crack detection accuracy of ≥75%. Detected anomalies are geo-tagged and visualized on a GIS dashboard with localization accuracy conservatively bounded by ≤20 meters. The complete capture-to-dashboard processing latency is designed to remain under 5 minutes under nominal operating conditions. Aerodynamic and structural analysis confirm stable hover performance under wind speeds up to 7 m/s (25 km/h), with a thrust-to-weight ratio ≥2 ensuring safe maneuverability and disturbance rejection. The docking structure, constructed from UV-resistant materials and anchored to a reinforced foundation, is designed for outdoor deployment in harsh environmental conditions. The project demonstrates the feasibility of a closed-loop autonomous inspection architecture integrating flight mechanics, power electronics, and cloud-based artificial intelligence. SkyLink provides a scalable prototype framework aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 smart city objectives, enabling automated infrastructure monitoring and data-driven maintenance planning.