DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION AND SECURITY CHALLENGES IN REMOTE UAV CONTROL SYSTEMS

This thesis focuses on the simulation and security analysis of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) drone controlled via the VICON (Vicon) Tracker motion capture system for positional data retrieval. Using ROS (Robot Operating System) middleware, the location data provided by the Vicon system is processed through a dedicated node, allowing the drone to know its position in real time without the use of GPS. A simulation code was implemented that enables the drone to be controlled by keyboard, simulating a flight in a virtual space, all controlled via the QGroundControl software. The research also focused on analysing the security vulnerabilities of the system as a whole, exploring potential cyber threats, such as attacks on communications between the drone and controller, and the integrity of positioning data. Through this analysis, mitigation solutions, such as the use of encryption and intrusion detection mechanisms, were evaluated in order to ensure the operational security of the drone and the created environment. The work makes a significant contribution to understanding the challenges and possible strategies to improve the security of UAVs in controlled and simulated environments.