Collaborative Traffic Monitoring and Management of Autonomous Driving and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems

With the rapid advancement of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), the collaboration between autonomous driving and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies has attracted significant attention in traffic monitoring and management. Traditional methods like ground cameras and sensors, while providing specific data, face limitations in complex road conditions, dynamic environments, and emergency responses. This article reviews the current applications of autonomous driving and UAV systems in traffic monitoring, analyzing their collaborative potential in data collection, transmission, processing, and decision-making. A 5G/6G and edge computing-based collaborative monitoring framework is proposed, enabling UAVs as mobile sensing nodes to enhance real-time traffic data acquisition. The integration mechanisms, advantages, and challenges of drones and autonomous vehicles in intelligent traffic management are also examined. Current research indicates that UAV-autonomous driving cooperation improves traffic monitoring coverage and accuracy, benefiting accident warning, dynamic routing, and intelligent signal control. Future advances in communication and AI will deepen this integration, fostering more efficient and safer intelligent transportation systems.