Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Communication Research Articles

A Design of NLOS Communication Scheme Based on SC-FDE with Cyclic Suffix for UAV Payload Communication

Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication with severe loss always leads to performance degradation in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) payload communication. In this paper, a UAV NLOS communication scheme based on single-carrier frequency domain equalization with cyclic prefix and cyclic suffix (CP/CS-SC-FDE) is designed. First, the reasons behind the generation of later intersymbol interference (LISI) in UAV NLOS communication are investigated. Then, the frame structure of conventional single-carrier frequency domain equalization with cyclic prefix (CP-SC-FDE) is improved, and the UAV NLOS communication frame structure based on cyclic prefix (CP) and cyclic suffix (CS) is designed. Furthermore, a channel estimation algorithm applicable to this scheme is proposed. The numerical results show that this UAV communication scheme can eliminate intersymbol interference (ISI) in NLOS communication. Compared with the conventional CP-SC-FDE system, this scheme can achieve excellent performance in the Rayleigh channel and other standard NLOS channels. In the CP/CS-SC-FDE system, the BER result is similar to that under ideal synchronization.

Performance evaluation of magic square based spatial modulation in UAV communication

This study proposes a method to reduce the bit error rate (BER) in communications by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The method involves using specific active antennas that transmit at precise times with a particular mapping, ensuring orthogonality among transmitting antennas. This technique can accommodate numerous transmit antennas and amplitude-phase modulation orders. When applied to spatial modulation (SM) and generalized spatial modulation (GSM), it demonstrates clear superiority and significantly improved results compared to traditional SM and GSM methods, especially at high altitudes where conventional methods result in high BER. Introducing a new modulation method called magic square (MS) further enhances the results. The MS method provides a unique orthogonality pattern for the transmitting antenna sets. Additionally, the study introduces the utilization of magic squares in the modulation field. The MS-based SM model shows a BER rate almost 103 times lower than traditional SM at the 25 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) level for various fly altitudes. Similarly, the MS-based GSM model demonstrates a BER rate almost 100 times lower than traditional GSM. The proposed method yields better results as the altitude increases, making it suitable for UAV communication at various altitudes.

Performance Evaluation of mmWave Communication for Real-Time UAV-Base Station Links

Introduction: In the context of modern communication networks, the increasing demand for high data rates, minimal latency, and improved reliability—especially in scenarios involving Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)—calls for innovative solutions. Millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication emerges as a fitting choice due to its capacity to offer ample bandwidth and high data rates. Methods: This research paper presents a comprehensive study that compares the performance of mmWave communication links across four different frequencies (6, 28, 60, and 120 GHz) for UAV-to-Base Station (BS) communication. The investigation, conducted through simulations, adheres to atmospheric conditions such as rain and fog, different environments (urban and rural) scenarios. It evaluates the suitability of mmWave frequencies using critical performance metrics: latency, received power, Bit Error Rate (BER) and Signal-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR). These metrics play a fundamental role in assessing communication link quality. Results: Our findings reveal that leveraging higher mmWave frequencies—specifically 60 and 120 GHz—significantly enhances UAV-to-BS communication performance. Compared to lower frequencies, these higher bands exhibit reduced latency, higher data rates, and improved throughput. Consequently, mmWave frequencies beyond 60 GHz prove well-suited for UAV communication, facilitating efficient data exchange with minimal delay. Conclusion: Furthermore, the potential for reduced interference and enhanced reliability at these elevated frequencies makes them particularly advantageous in applications requiring seamless connectivity. Examples include UAV-assisted emergency response, surveillance, and remote sensing. These insights hold substantial implications for the design and deployment of UAV communication systems, highlighting mmWave technology’s transformative potential in the emerging era of aerial communication.

Secure Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Communication in Dual-Function Radar Communication System by Exploiting Constructive Interference

In contrast from traditional unmanned aerial vehicle communication via unlicensed spectrum, connecting unmanned aerial vehicles with cellular networks can extend their communication coverage and improve the quality of their service. In addition, the emerging dual-functional radar communication paradigm in cellular systems can better meet the requirements of location-sensitive tasks such as reconnaissance and cargo delivery. Based on the above considerations, in this paper, we study the simultaneous communication and target sensing issue in cellular-connected unmanned aerial vehicle systems. Specifically, we consider a two-cell coordinated system with two base stations, cellular unmanned aerial vehicles, and potential aerial targets. In such systems, the communication security issue of cellular unmanned aerial vehicles regarding eavesdropping on their target is inevitable since the main beam of the transmit waveform needs to point to the direction of the target for achieving a sufficient detection performance. Aiming at protecting the privacy of cellular transmission as well as performing target sensing, we exploit the physical layer security technique with the aid of constructive interference-based precoding. A transmit power minimization problem is formulated with constraints on secure and reliable cellular transmission and a sufficient radar signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio. By specially designing the transmit beamforming vectors at the base stations, the received signals at the cellular users are located in the decision regions of the transmitted symbols while the targets can only receive wrong symbols. We also compare the performance of the proposed scheme with that of the traditional one without constructive interference. The simulation results show that the proposed constructive interference-based strategy can meet the requirements of simultaneous target sensing and secure communication, and also save transmit power compared with the traditional scheme.

Research on a High-Dynamics Acquisition Algorithm for New Binary Offset Carrier Signal in UAV Communication

As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in various fields, there is an increasing demand for UAV anti-jamming, multipath mitigation, and covert secrecy. Frequency-hopping binary offset carrier (FH-BOC) signals possess higher anti-jamming and multipath mitigation capabilities than direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) and binary offset carrier (BOC) signals. A prerequisite for constructing communication links between UAVs using FH-BOC signals is the design of efficient acquisition algorithms to capture the signals successfully. In this paper, the modulation and characteristics of the FH-BOC signal are introduced. The maximum relative velocity between UAVs is 5.5 km/s, the maximum acceleration is 50 g, and the maximum plus acceleration is 20 g/s. In this high dynamic environment, the parameters for the parallel code phase and Partial Matched Filter–Fast Fourier Transform (PMF-FFT) acquisition algorithms targeting FH-BOC(10,1) signals are designed, and the acquisition performance of these algorithms is comparatively analyzed. The acquisition time for the first and second algorithms is 4.3317 s and 6.137 s. The number of real additions required by the first and second algorithms is approximately 10.9×109 and 8.9×109, and the number of real multiplications is approximately 7.6×109 and 6.7×109. This helps in selecting the acquisition algorithm when FH-BOC signals are used to build inter-UAV communication links.

Characteristics Analysis and Modeling of Integrated Sensing and Communication Channel for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Communications

As an important part of 6th generation (6G) communication, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication has attracted more and more attention. The UAV ISAC channel model considering the space-time evolution of joint and shared clusters is the basis of UAV ISAC system design and network evaluation. This paper introduces the UAV ISAC channel characteristics analysis and modeling method. In the UAV ISAC network, the channel consists of a communication channel and a sensing channel. A joint channel parameter is a combination of all (communication and sensing) multiple path component (MPC) parameter sets, while a shared path is the intersection of the communication path and sensing path that have some of the same MPC parameters. Based on the data collected from a ray-tracing (RT) UAV-to-ground scenario, the joint paths and shared paths of ISAC channels are clustered. Then, by introducing the occurrence and disappearance of clusters based on the birth–death (B–D) process, the space-time evolution of different clusters is described, and the influence of the addition of sensing clusters and the change in flight altitude on the B–D process is explored. Finally, the effects of the sensing cluster and flight altitude on the UAV ISAC channel characteristics, including the angle, time–varying characteristics, and sharing degree (SD), are analyzed. The related UAV ISAC channel characteristics analysis can provide reference for the future development of UAV ISAC systems.

Survey on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Communications for 6G

Although the application of the fifth-Generation (5G) mobile communication has brought tremendous innovations to the daily life of human beings, e.g., autonomous vehicles and internet of everything, the upcoming huger data requirement leads to the emergence of the sixth-Generation (6G) mobile communication. Compared to 5G, the transmission rate, time delay, and wireless coverage need to be improved significantly. Thus, in this paper the applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to the ubiquitous, intelligent and coupling 6G network are surveyed. First, the utilization of UAVs in the framework of space-air-ground-sea integrated network is demonstrated, and the roles and functions of UAVs in different scenarios are emphasized, e.g., the swarm base stations, the deployment for holographic projection, the long-distance relaying and the data collection. Then, the potential 6G key techniques of terahertz, ultra-massive multiple-input and multiple-output, endogenous artificial intelligence, Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS), intelligent edge computing, blockchain and integrated sensing and communication for UAV communications are investigated. Finally, the future challenges of UAV communications for 6G, including the limited duration, integration of networks, compatibility of IRS, development of THz communications, and user security are discussed.

IRS-assisted UAV wireless powered communication network for sustainable federated learning

Intelligent reflective surface (IRS) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication are indispensable potential technologies in the future sixth-generation mobile communication technology (6 G). Utilizing the high beamforming gain of IRS and the high mobility of UAV can achieve ubiquitous network coverage and ensure a high-quality communication environment. Wireless Powered Communication Network (WPCN) is an emerging green communication technology network that converts received radio frequency (RF) signals into electrical energy to power Federated Learning (FL) users. FL users perform local computing and model transmission through the collected energy, ensuring the sustainability of FL. In order to solve the problems of complex communication environment, privacy protection, and energy constraints on terminal devices, we design an FL system based on an IRS-assisted UAV wireless power communication network, which minimizes the UAV transmission energy by jointly optimizing UAV location, IRS phase shift, and resource allocation strategies. We use a low-complexity iterative algorithm to solve this complex non-convex problem. The simulation results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is obviously better than that of other benchmark schemes, indicating that joint optimization plays an essential role in improving the performance of the system.

Measurement-Based Tapped Delay Line Channel Modeling for Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Air-to-Ground Communications at S-Band

Fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely considered as a vital candidate of aerial base station in beyond Fifth Generation (B5G) systems. Accurate knowledge of air-to-ground (A2G) wireless propagation is important for A2G communication system development and testing where, however, there is still a lack of A2G wideband channel models for such a purpose. In this paper, we present a wideband fixed-wing UAV-based A2G channel measurement campaign at 2.7 GHz, and consider typical flight phases, based on which a wide-sense stationary uncorrelated scattering (WSSUS)-based tapped delay line (TDL) wideband channel model is proposed. Parameters of individual channel taps are analyzed in terms of gain, amplitude distribution, Rice factor and delay-Doppler spectrum. It is shown that UAV flight phases significantly influence the channel tap parameters. Particularly, the “Bell”-type spectrum is found to be the most suitable model for the delay-Doppler spectrum under various flight scenarios for A2G propagation. The proposed channel model can provide valuable assistance and guidance for UAV communication system evaluation and network planning.

Joint trajectory and beamforming optimization for UAV secure communications with passive coupled phase-shift/active STAR-RIS

Recently, the concept of simultaneously transmitting and reflecting reconfigurable intelligent surface (STAR-RIS) has been proposed to achieve a full-space (i.e., 360∘) reconfigurable wireless environment. By exploiting the capability of manipulating signal propagation in both transmission and reflection spaces, the STAR-RIS possesses great potential to boost the security in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communications. In this paper, the trajectory and beamforming optimization are investigated for secure transmission in STAR-RIS-assisted UAV communication systems. Unlike existing studies on the STAR-RIS that mostly focus on the passive ideal model, we consider the more practical passive coupled phase-shift model and the active model of the STAR-RIS. Under the multi-user multi-eavesdropper scenario, we aim to maximize the minimum average secrecy rate by jointly optimizing the UAV-base station's (UAV-BS's) beamforming, UAV's trajectory, and the STAR-RIS's transmission and reflection (T&R) coefficients. To tackle the non-convex optimization problem, the original problem is decomposed into three subproblems, and efficient alternating algorithms are proposed by leveraging the semi-definite relaxation, the successive convex approximation, and penalty-based approaches. Simulation results show that: 1) the practical coupled phase-shift model of passive STAR-RIS suffers a security performance degradation compared with the ideal independent phase-shift model, but it still outperforms the conventional RIS; 2) the active STAR-RIS with sufficient power budget outperforms its passive counterpart, while behaves slightly worse under unreasonable power budget; 3) the optimization of T&R coefficients drives the UAV's trajectory closer to the STAR-RIS, and the amplitudes of T&R coefficients highly depend on the UAV's trajectory in order to ensure the secrecy rate fairness.

Dual-Band Monopole MIMO Antenna Array for UAV Communication Systems.

This study proposes a compact, low-profile, four-port dual-band monopole multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication systems. Each monopole antenna of the array features a modified T-shaped radiator configuration and is printed on a Rogers RT5880 substrate with compact dimensions of 134.96 mm × 134.96 mm × 0.8 mm. A four-element square MIMO configuration with sequential 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° rotations was integrated smoothly into the UAV body. A prototype of the MIMO array was fabricated and experimentally evaluated, with measured results showing a close correlation to simulated results. The proposed dual-band monopole antenna demonstrated one of the widest impedance bandwidths of 46.15% at 2.4 GHz (2.04 to 3.25 GHz) IEEE 802.11b and 31.85% at 5.8 GHz (5.37 to 7.38 GHz) IEEE 802.11a on a thin 0.0064 λo substrate while achieving high transmission efficiency. The isolation of the proposed four-port MIMO design was measured at 23 dB at 2.4 GHz and 19 dB at 5.8 GHz. The MIMO array's total efficiency of each monopole antenna was measured at 96% at 2.4 GHz and 89% at 5.8 GHz. The design has measured diversity parameters such as an ECC below 0.01 and a DG of approximately 10. Based on these results, the proposed design suits the UAV communication system.

Hybrid deep learning with pelican optimization algorithm for M2M communication on UAV image classification

<p>Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) and image classification is essential to current remote sensing and data processing. UAVs and ground stations or other linked devices exchange information seamlessly using M2M communication. M2M connectivity helps UAVs with cameras and sensors communicate aerial pictures in real time or post-mission for image categorization and analysis. During flight, UAVs acquire massive volumes of picture data. Image classification, commonly using deep learning (DL) methods like convolutional neural network (CNN), automatically categorizes and annotates photos based on predetermined classes or attributes. This work uses UAV photos to produce hybrid deep learning with pelican optimization algorithm for M2M communication (HDLPOA-M2MC). HDLPOA-M2MC automates UAV picture class identification. GhostNet model is used to derive features in HDLPOA-M2MC. The HDLPOA-M2MC approach leverages pelican optimization algorithm (POA) for hyperparameter adjustment in this investigation. Finally, autoencoder-deep belief network (AE-DBN) model can classify. The HDLPOA-M2MC method’s enhanced outcomes were shown by several studies. The complete results showed that HDLPOA M2MC performed better across measures.</p>

UAV trajectory planning in NOMA-aided UAV-mounted RIS networks: A budgeted Multi-armed bandit approach

Abstract Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) and Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) can be used as supporting technologies for driving the effective development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) communication systems. Herein, both technologies are combined to widen the millimeter-wave Base Stations (mmWave-BS) coverage range. In this work, we consider UAV Trajectory Planning (UTP) problem to enhance the performance of a NOMA-based UAV-mounted RIS communication network. The problem is formulated using two Budgeted Multi-Armed Bandits (BMAB) schemes. BMAB is a variant of the classical MAB algorithm that considers the random cost of selecting an arm. The UAV performs as a bandit player attempting to maximize its achievable rate (i.e., reward) via accessing different grids in its trajectory. This reward is accomplished simultaneously while minimizing the energy/cost of flying the UAV from one grid to another to preserve its battery lifetime. Hence, two variants of the Budgeted upper confidence bound (BUCB), namely the BUCB1 and BUCB2, are investigated, where the simulations show that both algorithms outperform other benchmarks.

Multi-Node Joint Jamming Scheme for Secure UAV-Aided NOMA-CDRT Systems: Performance Analysis and Optimization

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication using non-orthogonal multiple access-based coordinated direct and relay transmission (NOMA-CDRT) supports both massive connectivity and wide-area coverage, becoming a key technology for future emergency rescue communications. However, relay forwarding and high-quality line-of-sight links may subject UAV-aided NOMA-CDRT to multiple eavesdropping attempts by saboteurs. Therefore, we propose a multi-node joint jamming scheme using artificial noise (AN) for the UAV-assisted NOMA-CDRT to improve the system’s physical layer security. In the proposed scheme, the base station directly serves a nearby user while using a UAV relay to serve a disaster-affected user, and both the users and the UAV relay utilize AN to jointly interfere with eavesdroppers around the users. To accurately characterize and maximize the ergodic secrecy sum rate (ESSR) of the proposed scheme, we derive the corresponding closed-form expressions and design a joint power allocation and interference control (JPAIC) algorithm using particle swarm optimization. Simulations verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis, the ESSR advantage of the proposed scheme compared with the conventional NOMA-CDRT, and the effectiveness of the proposed JPAIC.

Unlicensed Spectrum Access and Performance Analysis for NR-U/WiGig Coexistence in UAV Communication Systems

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are extensively employed in pursuit, rescue missions, and agricultural applications. These operations necessitate substantial data and video transmission, requiring significant spectral resources. The unlicensed millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum, especially in the 60 GHz frequency band, offers promising potential for UAV communications. However, WiGig users are the incumbent users of the 60 GHz unlicensed spectrum. Therefore, to ensure fair coexistence between UAV-based new radio-unlicensed (NR-U) users and WiGig users, unlicensed spectrum-sharing strategies need to be meticulously designed. Due to the beam directionality of the NR-U system, traditional listen-before-talk (LBT) spectrum sensing strategies are no longer effective in NR-U/WiGig systems. To address this, we propose a new cooperative unlicensed spectrum sensing strategy based on mmWave beamforming direction. In this strategy, UAV and WiGig users cooperatively sense the unlicensed spectrum and jointly decide on the access strategy. Our analysis shows that the proposed strategy effectively resolves the hidden and exposed node problems associated with traditional LBT strategies. Furthermore, we consider the sensitivity of mmWave to obstacles and analyze the effects of these obstacles on the spectrum-sharing sensing scheme. We examine the unlicensed spectrum access probability and network throughput under blockage scenarios. Simulation results indicate that although obstacles can attenuate the signal, they positively impact unlicensed spectrum sensing. The presence of obstacles can increase spectrum access probability by about 60% and improve system capacity by about 70%.

Low-profile, low sidelobe array antenna with ultrawide beam coverage for UAV communication

This paper presents a design method to implement an antenna array characterized by ultra-wide beam coverage, low profile, and low Sidelobe Level (SLL) for the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) air-to-ground communication. The array consists of ten broadside-radiating, ultrawide-beamwidth elements that are cascaded by a central-symmetry series-fed network with tapered currents following Dolph-Chebyshev distribution to provide low SLL. First, an innovative design of end-fire Huygens source antenna that is compatible with metal ground is presented. A low-profile, half-mode Microstrip Patch Antenna (MPA) is utilized to serve as the magnetic dipole and a monopole is utilized to serves as the electric dipole, constructing the compact, end-fire, grounded Huygens source antenna. Then, two opposite-oriented end-fire Huygens source antennas are seamlessly integrated into a single antenna element in the form of monopole-loaded MPA to accomplish the ultrawide, broadside-radiating beam. Particular consideration has been applied into the design of series-fed network as well as antenna element to compensate the adverse coupling effects between elements on the radiation performance. Experiment indicates an ultrawide Half-Power Beamwidth (HPBW) of 161° and a low SLL of −25 dB with a high gain of 12 dBi under a single-layer configuration. The concurrent ultrawide beamwidth and low SLL make it particularly attractive for applications of UAV air-to-ground communication.

Exploiting Cascaded Channel Signature for PHY-Layer Authentication in RIS-Enabled UAV Communication Systems

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS)-assisted Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) communications face a critical security threat from impersonation attacks, where adversaries impersonate legitimate entities to infiltrate networks to obtain private data or unauthorized access. To combat such security threats, this paper proposes a novel physical layer (PHY-layer) authentication scheme for validating UAV identity in RIS-enabled UAV wireless networks. Considering that most existing works focus on traditional communication systems such as IoT and millimeter wave multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, there is currently no mature PHY-layer authentication scheme to serve RIS-UAV communication systems. To this end, our scheme leverages the unique characteristics of cascaded channels related to RIS to verify the legitimacy of UAV transmitting signals to the base station (BS). To be more precise, we first use the least squares estimate method and coordinate a descent-based algorithm to extract the cascaded channel feature. Next, we explore a quantizer to quantize the fluctuations of the channel gain that are related to the extracted channel feature. The 1-bit quantizer’s output findings are exploited to generate the authentication decision criteria, which are then tested using a binary hypothesis. The statistical signal processing technique is utilized to obtain the analytical formulations for detection and false alarm probabilities. We also conduct a computational complexity analysis of the proposed scheme. Finally, the numerical results validate the effectiveness of the proposed performance metric models and show that our detection performance can reach over 90% accuracy at a low signal-to-noise ratio (e.g., −8 dB), with a 10% improvement in detection accuracy compared with existing schemes.

A Quantum-Resistant Identity Authentication and Key Agreement Scheme for UAV Networks Based on Kyber Algorithm

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play a critical role in various fields, including logistics, agriculture, and rescue operations. Effective identity authentication and key agreement schemes are vital for UAV networks to combat threats. Current schemes often employ algorithms like elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) and Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA), which are vulnerable to quantum attacks. To address this issue, we propose LIGKYX, a novel scheme combining the quantum-resistant Kyber algorithm with the hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) for enhanced security and efficiency. This scheme enables the mutual authentication between UAVs and ground stations and supports secure session key establishment protocols. Additionally, it facilitates robust authentication and key agreement among UAVs through control stations, addressing the critical challenge of quantum-resistant security in UAV networks. The proposed LIGKYX scheme operates based on the Kyber algorithm and elliptic curve Diffie–Hellman (ECDH) key exchange protocol, employing the HMAC and pre-computation techniques. Furthermore, a formal verification tool validated the security of LIGKYX under the Dolev–Yao threat model. Comparative analyses on security properties, communication overhead, and computational overhead indicate that LIGKYX not only matches or exceeds existing schemes but also uniquely counters quantum attacks effectively, ensuring the security of UAV communication networks with a lower time overhead for authentication and communication.

Joint 3D trajectory and phase shift optimization via deep reinforcement learning for RIS-assisted UAV communication systems

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be deployed as aerial base station to provide communication services for the user equipments (UEs). However, in urban environments, the links between UAV and UEs might be frequently blocked by obstacles, leading to severely adverse effects on the quality of service (QoS) of UEs. Additionally, due to the limited energy of the UAV, it might not always be feasible to re-establish the line-of-sight (LoS) links by frequently adjusting the positions of the UAV. In this context, the reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) is utilized to enhance the transmission range of UAV-UE links by reflecting incident signals to UEs. In this paper, we investigate the RIS-assisted UAV communication systems with the goal of maximizing the energy efficiency of the UAV through a joint optimization of the UAV’s trajectory and the RIS’s phase shift. The formulated optimization problem is non-convex, and challenging to solve in a polynomial time. Therefore, an effective deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based solution, named Dueling DQN-PER is proposed, which combines the Dueling DQN algorithm with the prioritized experience replay (PER) technique. To ensure the fairness among all UEs, we design a service fairness index, and integrate it into the reward function when designing the proposed algorithm. Numerical results demonstrate that: 1) the proposed Dueling DQN-PER algorithm is capable of improving the system energy efficiency and has a better training performance than benchmark schemes; 2) by devising the service fairness index, the fairness among all UEs is ensured while enhancing the system performance in energy efficiency; 3) the RIS-assisted UAV communication systems benefit from significant energy efficiency gain over the systems without RIS.

Enhancing unmanned aerial vehicle communication through distributed ledger and multi-agent deep reinforcement learning for fairness and scalability

Enhancing unmanned aerial vehicle communication through distributed ledger and multi-agent deep reinforcement learning for fairness and scalability