Lahmeri, Mohamed-Amine and Kishk, Mustafa A. and Alouini, Mohamed-Slim
(2023)
Laser-Powered UAVs for Wireless Communication Coverage: A Large-Scale Deployment Strategy.
IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 22 (1).
pp. 518-533.
ISSN 1536-1276
Abstract
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is strongly advocated for sixth-generation (6G) networks, as the 6G standard will not be limited to improving broadband services, but will also target the extension of the geographical cellular coverage. In this context, the deployment of UAVs is considered a key solution for seamless connectivity and reliable coverage. That being said, it is important to underline that although UAVs are characterized by their high mobility and their ability to establish line-of-sight (LOS) links, their use is still impeded by several factors such as weather conditions, their limited computing power, and, most importantly, their limited energy. In this work, we are aiming for the novel technology that enables indefinite wireless power transfer for UAVs using laser beams. We propose a novel UAV deployment strategy, based on which we analyze the overall performance of the system in terms of wireless coverage. To this end, we use tractable tools from stochastic geometry to model the complex communication system. We analyze the user’s connectivity profile under different laser charging capabilities and in different type of environments. We show a decrease in the coverage probability by more than 12% in moderate-to-strong turbulence conditions compared to low turbulence conditions. We also show how the connection rate to the aerial network significantly decreases in favor of the terrestrial network for short laser charging ranges. We conclude that laser-powered drones are considered interesting alternatives when placed in LOS with users, in low-to-moderate optical turbulence, and at reasonable ranges from the charging stations.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Keywords: |
Drones;
Laser beams;
Stochastic processes;
Geometry;
Wireless communication;
Laser modes;
Autonomous aerial vehicles; Stochastic geometry;
laser-powered UAVs;
wireless power transfer;
6G;
coverage probability;
Poisson point process;
Matérn cluster process; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering > Electronic Engineering |
| Item ID: |
17563 |
| Identification Number: |
https://doi.org/10.1109/TWC.2022.3195867 |
| Depositing User: |
Mustafa Kishk
|
| Date Deposited: |
18 Sep 2023 12:02 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications |
| Publisher: |
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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