mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Wireless Communications with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Opportunities and Challenges

arXiv 1602.03602 ↗First posted 11 Feb 2016cs.IT cs.NI math.ITcited by 40

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Abstract (arXiv)

Wireless communication systems that include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) promise to provide cost-effective wireless connectivity for devices without infrastructure coverage. Compared to terrestrial communications or those based on high-altitude platforms (HAPs), on-demand wireless systems with low-altitude UAVs are in general faster to deploy, more flexibly re-configured, and are likely to have better communication channels due to the presence of short-range line-of-sight (LoS) links. However, the utilization of highly mobile and energy-constrained UAVs for wireless communications also introduces many new challenges. In this article, we provide an overview of UAV-aided wireless communications, by introducing the basic networking architecture and main channel characteristics, highlighting the key design considerations as well as the new opportunities to be exploited.

Key facts. Cited by 40 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). First posted on arXiv 11 Feb 2016.

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2021: 10; 2022: 4; 2023: 7; 2024: 5; 2025: 4; 2026: 10.

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  1. 2021UAV-assisted Online Machine Learning over Multi-Tiered Networks: A Hierarchical Nested Personalized Federated Learning Approachcited by 20
  2. 2023Forking Uncertainties: Reliable Prediction and Model Predictive Control with Sequence Models via Conformal Risk Controlcited by 19
  3. 2021UAV Trajectory Planning in Wireless Sensor Networks for Energy Consumption Minimization by Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 10
  4. 2021Trajectory Design for UAV-Based Internet-of-Things Data Collection: A Deep Reinforcement Learning Approachcited by 7
  5. 2021Deep Learning Assisted Calibrated Beam Training for Millimeter-Wave Communication Systemscited by 5
  6. 2022Cooperative Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning for Reliable and Energy-Efficient Mobile Access via Multi-UAV Controlcited by 5
  7. 2023Quantum Multi-Agent Actor-Critic Networks for Cooperative Mobile Access in Multi-UAV Systemscited by 5
  8. 2024AI-based Drone Assisted Human Rescue in Disaster Environments: Challenges and Opportunitiescited by 4
  9. 2021Learning Emergent Random Access Protocol for LEO Satellite Networkscited by 3
  10. 2022Multi-armed Bandit Learning on a Graphcited by 3
  11. 2024UAV-assisted Distributed Learning for Environmental Monitoring in Rural Environmentscited by 3
  12. 2021Multi-UAV Mobile Edge Computing and Path Planning Platform based on Reinforcement Learningcited by 2
28 more
  1. 2023Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning with Action Masking for UAV-enabled Mobile Communicationscited by 2
  2. 2023Joint Path planning and Power Allocation of a Cellular-Connected UAV using Apprenticeship Learning via Deep Inverse Reinforcement Learningcited by 2
  3. 2024EVD4UAV: An Altitude-Sensitive Benchmark to Evade Vehicle Detection in UAVcited by 2
  4. 2025Age and Power Minimization via Meta-Deep Reinforcement Learning in UAV Networkscited by 2
  5. 2021Optimization for Master-UAV-powered Auxiliary-Aerial-IRS-assisted IoT Networks: An Option-based Multi-agent Hierarchical Deep Reinforcement Learning Approachcited by 1
  6. 2023Sum-Rate Maximization of RSMA-based Aerial Communications with Energy Harvesting: A Reinforcement Learning Approachcited by 1
  7. 2023Physics-Based Trajectory Design for Cellular-Connected UAV in Rainy Environments Based on Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 1
  8. 2021Distributed Deep Reinforcement Learning for Intelligent Traffic Monitoring with a Team of Aerial Robotscited by 0
  9. 2021Responsive Regulation of Dynamic UAV Communication Networks Based on Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 0
  10. 2021Networking of Internet of UAVs: Challenges and Intelligent Approachescited by 0
  11. 20225G Network on Wings: A Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach to the UAV-based Integrated Access and Backhaulcited by 0
  12. 2022Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Multi-Access Edge Computing Schedule for Internet of Vehiclecited by 0
  13. 2023SkyCharge: Deploying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Dynamic Load Optimization in Solar Small Cell 5G Networkscited by 0
  14. 2024Top-k Multi-Armed Bandit Learning for Content Dissemination in Swarms of Micro-UAVscited by 0
  15. 2024GNN-Empowered Effective Partial Observation MARL Method for AoI Management in Multi-UAV Networkcited by 0
  16. 2025Towards Federated Multi-Armed Bandit Learning for Content Dissemination using Swarm of UAVscited by 0
  17. 2025LLMs are everywhere: Ubiquitous Utilization of AI Models through Air Computingcited by 0
  18. 2025Quantum-Inspired Multi Agent Reinforcement Learning for Exploration Exploitation Optimization in UAV-Assisted 6G Network Deploymentcited by 0
  19. 2026Learn for Variation: Efficient AAV Trajectory Learning through a Differentiable Wireless World Modelcited by 0
  20. 2026Networking-Aware Energy Efficiency in Agentic AI Inference: A Surveycited by 0
  21. 2026Aerial Multi-Functional RIS in Fluid Antennas-Aided Full-Duplex Networks: A Self-Optimized Hybrid Deep Reinforcement Learning Approachcited by 0
  22. 2026On Privacy-Preserving Image Transmission in Low-Altitude Networks: A Swin Transformer-Based Framework with Federated Learningcited by 0
  23. 2026AI-Empowered UAV-Assisted Backscatter Localization and ISAC for Zero-Energy IoT: A Comprehensive Surveycited by 0
  24. 2026Arm2Air: Cross-Embodiment Skeleton Transfer for 3D Relay Formationcited by 0
  25. 2026WARA: Toward Automated Wireless Optimization Research with Closed-Loop LLM Agentscited by 0
  26. 2026Place, Slice and Schedule: Hierarchical O-RAN Control of a Tethered mmWave UAV-gNBcited by 0
  27. 2026AERIS: Offline Policy Improvement for Multi-UAV Integrated Sensing and Communicationcited by 0
  28. 2026Threat-Aware Energy-Efficient Deployment for Dynamic UAV Networks: A Multi-Agent RL Approachcited by 0