Frontier Progress of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Optical Wireless Technologies

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Telecommunications Engineering
• Optical Communications

Background:

• Rapid advancements in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) necessitate enhanced communication capabilities.
• The fifth generation (5G) network offers high reliability, low latency, and high transmission rates crucial for UAV development.
• Integrating optical wireless technology addresses the growing demands of diversified UAV applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the integration of optical wireless technology into UAV platforms.
• To review research advances and key technologies for robust and broadband UAV communication links.
• To analyze UAVs' status and future directions in various application scenarios using optical wireless links.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis and practical application of optical wireless technology for UAVs.
• Link modeling and parameter optimization for communication systems.
• Experimental testing and evaluation of UAV optical wireless link configurations.

Main Results:

• Key technologies and research advances in optical wireless communication for UAVs are presented.
• The study covers applications across 'air, space, earth, and sea' domains.
• Analysis of current UAV optical wireless technology status and configurations in different scenarios.

Conclusions:

• Optical wireless technology is vital for future UAV communication systems.
• Addressing technical challenges is crucial for advancing UAV optical wireless technology.
• Future research should focus on optimizing performance and expanding applications for UAVs.