Simulation Testbeds and Frameworks for UAV Performance Evaluation

Abstract

Real-world performance evaluation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) requires a considerable amount of time and resources. It is challenging to evaluate and make frequent changes to optimize UAV performance practically. Furthermore, some cyber-attack resistance evaluation tests for UAV networks, like jamming, are illegal to perform in most countries. Simulators are software that enable us to evaluate UAV performance without real-world practical implementation. Simulations make it possible to create, implement, and test scenarios virtually on a computer. There are many simulators available for UAV performance evaluation, but they all differ in functionality and use. It is essential to choose the right simulator based on the requirements and needs of the research. In this paper, we investigated, evaluated, and categorized available UAV simulators to make it easy to choose the right simulation software for UAV performance evaluation.