Developing resilient communication architectures for the internet of underground things (IoUgT)

Abstract

Reliable underground communication remains a major challenge due to high signal attenuation and variable soil conditions. This work presents a power-efficient and scalable underground monitoring system based on Magnetic Induction (MI), enhanced by Unmaned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-assisted data collection. The proposed system uses ultra-low power wake-up receivers and keeps the transmitter off during idle periods to significantly extend battery lifetime. A prototype was built using commercial off-the-shelf components, and various experiments were conducted to evaluate communication range, bit error rate, and energy consumption. Results show that the wake-up range can reach 6.8 meters, while reliable data communication is achieved up to 3.8 meters, Furthermore, the transmitter can reach lifetimes exceeding 15 years. A largescale performance analysis using stochastic geometry was also carried out to assess network behavior. This system provides a practical solution for long-term monitoring of buried infrastructure.