Papers for

drone network engineers

Papers whose findings have a practical use for this group, as judged from the abstract. Open a paper to read what it means in practice.

UAV communication and sensing improved in aerial corridors with antenna tuning

Joint Communication and Sensing in Aerial Corridors: A Novel Stochastic Geometry Framework

Abstract: In unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) networks, joint communication and sensing (JCAS) is emerging as a key enabler to support extended and continuous communication and sensing capabilities for sixth-generation (6G) services among UAVs operating in swarms. Within this framework, aerial corridors provide a structured environment for supporting coordinated and reliable operations. In this paper, a comprehensive frame- work is presented to investigate the JCAS coverage probability (CP) of a UAV-base station (BS) in an aerial corridor populated by UAV-user equipments (UEs). The corridor is modeled as a finite cylinder, within which a fixed number of UAV-UEs are spatially distributed according to a three-dimensional (3D) binomial point process (BPP). The UAV-BS is assumed to be equipped with a realistic 3D third generation partnership project (3GPP) antenna pattern and exploits radar sensing capabilities to track a known UAV-UE. Subsequently, the tracked UAV-UE is assumed to perform uplink communication with the UAV-BS. Accordingly, the JCAS CP at the UAV-BS is analyzed under the presence of clutter and uplink communication interference, and exact-form analytical expressions are derived. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to develop a stochastic geometry framework for the rigorous analysis of JCAS performance in aerial corridors, with UAV-UE locations modeled as a 3D BPP. Among several insights, results show that increasing the directivity of the UAV-BS antenna beams leads to notable JCAS performance gains, particularly for shorter UAV corridors.

Thu 1 OctInformation Theory
The gist
UAV networks need to both communicate and sense their environment effectively, especially when flying in groups or swarms. This paper models UAVs flying within defined 3D aerial corridors and analyzes how well a UAV base station can simultaneously track and communicate with a known UAV user amid other UAVs creating interference. The authors develop precise mathematical formulas that predict the likelihood of good joint communication and sensing performance under realistic antenna designs and interference conditions. They find that using more focused antenna beams can significantly improve these capabilities, especially when the corridor is shorter.
Open → 2610.01359v1

Adaptive resource slicing improves aerial network reliability and speed

Adaptive and Resilient Dual-Layer Resource Slicing for Hovering Aerial Backhaul Networks

Abstract: This paper investigates adaptive and resilient dual-layer resource slicing in hovering aerial agent (HAA)-assisted backhaul networks for heterogeneous 5G/6G services, including enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). To address the complex coupling of this dual-layer architecture in non-stationary environments, we propose the resilient adaptive priority orchestration enhanced twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (RAPO-TD3) framework. We introduce a novel double soft-max projection mechanism to map the continuous action space into physically feasible bandwidth distributions, ensuring strict constraint adherence. Additionally, a resilient adaptive priority orchestration (RAPO) mechanism is embedded to safeguard mission-critical URLLC latency. Crucially, we establish a rigorous mathematical foundation proving that our framework ensures Lipschitz continuity and satisfies the Robbins-Monro conditions for stable asymptotic convergence. Extensive simulations under non-stationary traffic demonstrate that our RAPO-TD3 framework achieves superior performance relative to PPO, DDPG, and traditional solvers. Notably, via the RAPO mechanism, our approach maintains URLLC satisfaction levels closely approaching theoretical optima even during 500% demand surges. Furthermore, scalability evaluations indicate that sub-millisecond execution latencies strictly satisfy the 1 ms URLLC budget, demonstrating the performance efficacy of our proposed framework.

Sat 26 SeptMultiagent SystemsNetworking and Internet Architecture
The gist
Managing network resources for different types of 5G and 6G services is tricky, especially when using flying devices that move and change. The authors created a smart system called RAPO-TD3 that adapts automatically to changing network demands, making sure urgent data like emergency messages get through quickly. This system keeps network delays very low even when traffic spikes, and it works fast enough to meet strict timing rules. Their tests show it performs better than other common solutions.
Open → 2609.32798v1

Material aware maps improve UAV sensing and communications outdoors

Online Material-Labeled Environment Reconstruction via Bayesian Multipath Attribution for Low-Altitude ISAC

Abstract: Environment reconstruction for low-altitude integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) has largely focused on geometry-centric maps, overlooking material-dependent propagation effects. Material-labeled reconstruction is therefore a key step toward propagation-aware mapping, enabling more physically grounded channel prediction and uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) networking. However, constructing such maps from wireless multipath observations is challenging in outdoor multi-building scenarios because multipath components (MPCs) from different facades are mixed, path-to-facade attribution is uncertain, and UAV measurements arrive sequentially under time-varying observation geometries. To address these challenges, we propose a unified online probabilistic framework that represents each reflecting facade as a virtual anchor (VA) and couples Bayesian VA localization, multipath attribution, and material inference. The Bayesian front end estimates facade-level geometry and computes soft MPC-to-VA attribution probabilities using a speculardiffuse likelihood model, thereby accounting for both dominant specular paths and diffuse surface-interacted components. These attribution probabilities are used to construct attribution-aware MPC representations, which are aggregated in a VA-centric manner and mapped by a material inference network to facadelevel material evidence. The resulting evidence is recursively fused through an online Bayesian update to produce stable material posteriors and material-labeled environment maps. Ray-tracing simulations in a representative urban street scenario show that the proposed method substantially outperforms a no-attribution baseline, achieves 93.75% final facade-level material accuracy on a held-out UAV trajectory, and maintains accurate VA-based facade localization.

Thu 17 SeptInformation Theory
The gist
Mapping outdoor environments by drones usually focuses only on shapes and distances, ignoring what materials buildings are made of. The authors designed a method that uses signals bouncing off building surfaces to figure out both the location and the material type of walls seen by a drone flying low. Their approach uses probabilities to guess which signal bounces come from which walls and what the wall materials likely are, updating these guesses as the drone moves. Testing their method with simulated city scenes showed it accurately identifies wall materials and locations better than simpler approaches.
Open → 2609.19819v1