Satellite-terrestrial-integrated wide-area quick-response communications for machine rescue: closed-loop model and systematic design

With the development of artificial intelligence and automation technologies, an increasing number of machines are being applied in emergency rescue operations in harsh or high-risk environments. This makes it necessary to develop satellite-terrestrial-integrated wide-area rapid-response communication networks based on ground bases, unmanned aerial vehicles, and satellites, so as to build a "nervous system" for rescue machines. Machine rescue typically relies on four key components: on-site sensing, communication, situational computing, and control, which operate in reflex-arc-like sensing-communication-computing-control (SC³) closed loops. Therefore, a new wide-area quick-response communication design approach was proposed, which oriented SC³-closed-loop structures. Firstly, by considering the coupling of the different components in the SC³ closed loops, an "entropy matching" model based on closed-loop negentropy was proposed to optimize closed-loop control performance. Based on the proposed model, the design principles for communication systems in scenarios involving parallel operation and complex couplings of multiple SC³ loops were further explored. Simulation results under typical parameters demonstrate that the proposed system design approach that focuses on the close loop structure as the fundamental unit, can effectively integrate heterogeneous components and optimize the performance of machine rescue, thus greatly improving the network efficiency compared with the traditional communication-link-oriented design method.