Source: The Hindu | Science Page | Tags: 29 June 2026, Disaster Management, GS3, Science & Technology
Context: AI Cooperative Caching System
Researchers have developed an Artificial Intelligence-enabled Cooperative Caching system to maintain real-time communication during disasters.
Communication Challenges During Disasters
Space Networks
- Satellites face high latency and limited bandwidth.
Air Networks
- Drones have short battery life.
- Drones have limited range and payload.
Ground Networks
Often affected due to damage to:
- Telecom towers
- Fibre cables
- Power supply
Impact
Disaster response suffers due to:
- Delayed rescue
- Poor coordination
- Lack of real-time situational awareness
- Communication breakdown
AI-Enabled Cooperative Caching
Meaning
Instead of repeatedly downloading data from distant servers, different network nodes locally store and share critical information.
These nodes may include:
- Satellites
- Drones
- Base stations
- Emergency vehicles
Role of AI
AI decides:
- What information should be stored
- Where it should be stored
- When it should be updated
This decision is based on:
- Demand
- Available storage
- Network conditions
AI Models Used
Contextual Multi-Armed Bandit
- Selects the most useful data for each location.
Federated Multi-Armed Bandit
- Enables devices to learn from each other without sending all raw data.
Network Used
Space-Air-Ground Integrated Network
SAGIN integrates:
- Satellites
- Drones
- Terrestrial networks
into one resilient communication system.
Significance
- Faster access to maps, satellite images and rescue alerts.
- Maintains communication even if one network fails.
- Reduces bandwidth use.
- Reduces communication delay.
- Improves disaster response.
- Supports search and rescue.
- Helps emergency healthcare coordination.
