Comparative Performance Analysis of LoRa and WiFi Technologies for CanSat Communication Systems

Andre Costa Coelho, Marceu Veiga De Almeida Filho, Michel Lutegar Dorsi Pereira, Rigel Procópio Fernandes, Thiago Silva de Souza, Clayton Jones Alves Da Silva

DOI: 10.14209/sbrt.2025.1571157335

Evento: XLIII Simpósio Brasileiro de Telecomunicações e Processamento de Sinais (SBrT2025)

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Abstract

This research presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of LoRa and WiFi communication technologies for CanSat applications through empirical testing and performance evaluation. The study implements a CanSat system for environmental monitoring while conducting extensive communication tests between the two technologies across distances ranging from 1m to 200m. Performance metrics including transmission delay, packet loss percentage, data transmission speed, and delay variability were measured and analyzed. The CanSat system collects atmospheric data using commercial off-the-shelf sensors and transmits it via LoRa technology to a ground station. Experimental validation includes both laboratory testing and a 50-meter drone deployment to evaluate real-world performance. Results demonstrate that while WiFi significantly outperforms LoRa in speed and latency metrics, LoRa remains optimal for long-range, low-power applications typical of remote environmental monitoring scenarios. This work provides empirical evidence for technology selection in CanSat and similar remote sensing applications.

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