The Recent Advancement in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Tracking Antenna: A Review

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering
• Wireless Communication

Background:

• Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) antenna tracking systems are crucial for maintaining signal alignment between ground control stations (GCS) and airborne platforms.
• Traditional mechanical beam steering systems face limitations such as signal loss with omnidirectional antennas and high maintenance costs with directional antennas.
• Achieving reliable beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) communication for UAVs necessitates advanced antenna tracking solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology as an alternative to conventional electromechanical antenna tracking systems for UAVs.
• To demonstrate how MIMO beamforming can overcome the limitations of current UAV antenna tracking methods.
• To propose a novel approach for enhancing UAV communication reliability and range.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on existing UAV antenna tracking technologies and their limitations.
• Conceptualization and theoretical analysis of MIMO beamforming application in UAV communication.
• Comparative study of mechanical beam steering versus MIMO beamforming for UAV antenna tracking.

Main Results:

• MIMO technology presents a viable and potentially superior alternative to traditional mechanical beam steering for UAV antenna tracking.
• MIMO beamforming can effectively address the angle limitations and reliability issues associated with directional antennas.
• The proposed MIMO approach offers a pathway to more robust and extended range communication for UAVs.

Conclusions:

• MIMO technology can effectively 'usurp' traditional mechanical beam steering in UAV antenna tracking systems.
• Implementing MIMO beamforming is recommended for future UAV communication systems requiring enhanced tracking capabilities.
• This research highlights the transformative potential of MIMO in advancing UAV beyond line-of-sight technology.