  This paper addresses the challenging problem of enabling reliable immersive
teleoperation in scenarios where an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is remotely
controlled by an operator via a cellular network. Such scenarios can be quite
critical particularly when the UAV lacks advanced equipment (e.g., Lidar-based
auto stop) or when the network is subject to some performance constraints
(e.g., delay). To tackle these challenges, we propose a novel architecture
leveraging Digital Twin (DT) technology to create a virtual representation of
the physical environment. This virtual environment accurately mirrors the
physical world, accounting for 3D surroundings, weather constraints, and
network limitations. To enhance teleoperation, the UAV in the virtual
environment is equipped with advanced features that maybe absent in the real
UAV. Furthermore, the proposed architecture introduces an intelligent logic
that utilizes information from both virtual and physical environments to
approve, deny, or correct actions initiated by the UAV operator. This
anticipatory approach helps to mitigate potential risks. Through a series of
field trials, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed architecture in
significantly improving the reliability of UAV teleoperation.
