Real-Time Video Transmission over WLAN

Autonomous robots have performed tasks that are too dangerous for humans and gone places no human has ever gone. From tactical robots that detect and disrupt explosives in war zone, to Mars rovers that roam the Martian surface, wireless communication between these robots and their hosts is an essential part of the overall system design. A host can utilize the wireless communication channel to obtain feedback from the robot’s onboard sensors and tele-operate it when necessary. This paper presents the design and implementation of a communication channel using wireless local area network (WLAN), specifically the IEEE 802.11 standard, for real-time video transmission between an autonomous robot and a host computer. This paper also discusses the various issues of transmitting video over WLAN, outlines the detailed process involved in video transmission, and investigates the communication channel’s performance.