[en] Envisioned use cases of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) impose new service requirements in terms of data rate, latency, and sensing accuracy, to name a few. If such requirements are satisfactorily met, it can create novel applications and enable highly reliable and harmonized integration of UAVs in the 6G network ecosystem. Towards this, terahertz (THz) bands are perceived as a prospective technological enabler for various improved functionalities such as ultra-high throughput and enhanced sensing capabilities. This paper focuses on THz-empowered UAVs with the following capabilities: communication, sensing, localization, imaging, and control. We review the potential opportunities and use cases of THz-empowered UAVs, corresponding novel design challenges, and resulting trade-offs. Furthermore, we overview recent advances in UAV deployments regulations, THz standardization, and health aspects related to THz bands. Finally, we take UAV to UAV (U2U) communication as a case-study to provide numerical insights into the impact of various system design parameters and environment factors.
Disciplines :
Electrical & electronics engineering
Author, co-author :
AZARI, Mohammad Mahdi ; University of Luxembourg > Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SNT) > SigCom
SOLANKI, Sourabh ; University of Luxembourg > Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SNT) > SigCom
CHATZINOTAS, Symeon ; University of Luxembourg > Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SNT) > SigCom
Bennis, Mehdi; University of Oulu > Centre for Wireless Communications > Associate Professor
External co-authors :
yes
Language :
English
Title :
THz-Empowered UAVs in 6G: Opportunities, Challenges, and Trade-Offs
Publication date :
May 2022
Journal title :
IEEE Communications Magazine
ISSN :
0163-6804
eISSN :
1558-1896
Publisher :
Communications Society of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New-York, United States - New York
Special issue title :
Aerial Communications
Volume :
60
Issue :
5
Pages :
24 - 30
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Focus Area :
Security, Reliability and Trust
FnR Project :
FNR13713801 - Interconnecting The Sky In 5g And Beyond - A Joint Communication And Control Approach, 2019 (01/06/2020-31/05/2023) - Bjorn Ottersten
M. M. Azari et al., "Evolution of Non-Terrestrial Networks from 5G to 6G: A Survey," arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.06881, 2021
M. Giordani et al., "Toward 6G Networks: Use Cases and Technologies," IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 58, no. 3, Mar. 2020, pp. 55-61
C. Yi et al., "Design and Performance Analysis of THz Wireless Communication Systems for Chip-to-Chip and Personal Area Networks Applications," IEEE JSAC, vol. 39, no. 6, 2021, pp. 1785-96
I. F. Akyildiz, J. M. Jornet, and C. Han, "Terahertz Band: Next Frontier for Wireless Communications," Physical Commun., vol. 12, 2014, pp. 16-32
T. S. Rappaport et al., "Wireless Communications and Applications Above 100 GHz: Opportunities and Challenges for 6G and Beyond," IEEE Access, vol. 7, 2019, pp. 78,729-57
X. Wang et al., "Performance Analysis of Terahertz Unmanned Aerial Vehicular Networks," IEEE Trans. Vehic. Tech., vol. 69, no. 12, 2020, pp. 16,330-35
A. A. Raja et al., "Performance Analysis of UAV-Assisted Backhaul Solutions in THz Enabled Hybrid Heterogeneous Network," IEEE INFOCOM Wksps., 2020, pp. 628-33
F. Gao et al., "Wideband Beamforming for Hybrid Massive MIMO Terahertz Communications," IEEE JSAC, vol. 39, no. 6, 2021, pp. 1725-40
A. Bourdoux et al., "6G White Paper on Localization and Sensing," arXiv preprint arXiv:2006.01779, 2020
N. Gao et al., "3-D Deployment of UAV Swarm for Massive MIMO Communications," IEEE JSAC, vol. 39, no. 10, 2021, pp. 3022-34
C. Chaccour et al., "Seven Defining Features of Terahertz (THz) Wireless Systems: A Fellowship of Communication and Sensing," IEEE Commun. Surveys & Tutorials, 2022
B. Murmann, "ADC Performance Survey 1997-2021"; http://web.stanford.edu/murmann/adcsurvey.html
Y. A. Sambo, F. Héliot, and M. A. Imran, "A Survey and Tutorial of Electromagnetic Radiation and Reduction in Mobile Communication Systems," IEEE Commun. Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 17, no. 2, 2015, pp. 790-802
D. Hoolihan, "COMAR Releases A New Technical Information Statement (TIS) on 5G Wireless Communications Networks," IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Mag., vol. 9, no. 3, 2020, pp. 96-99
M. M. Azari et al., "UAV-to-UAV Communications in Cellular Networks," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 19, no. 9, 2020, pp. 6130-44