Provision of Coverage for a Wireless Communication Network by Using Moving Base Stations on Robots or Drones

A mobile robot of a plurality of mobile robots providing a radio coverage area, the mobile robot comprising:

• radio circuitry configured to exchange signals with a maintenance base;
• processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the radio circuitry and configured to:
• receive, from a maintenance base via the radio circuitry, an instruction to maintain a formation with the other mobile robots in the plurality of mobile robots such that the radio coverage area is provided;
• responsive to receiving a further instruction from the maintenance base via the radio circuitry, control the mobile robot to rotate positions within the formation to maintain the radio coverage area as a further mobile robot in the formation leaves the formation and another mobile robot enters the formation.

A maintenance base controlling a plurality of mobile robots providing a radio coverage area, the maintenance base comprising:

• radio circuitry configured to exchange signals with the plurality of mobile robots;
• processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the radio circuitry and configured to:
• instruct the plurality of mobile robots, via the radio circuitry, to position themselves into a formation from which to provide the radio coverage area;
• instruct a first mobile robot of the plurality of mobile robots, via the radio circuitry, to leave the formation;
• instruct the mobile robots other than the first mobile robot, via the radio circuitry, to rotate positions within the formation to maintain the radio coverage area as the first mobile robot leaves the formation and another mobile robot enters the formation.