Advancing Experimental Platforms for UAV Communications: Insights from AERPAW'S Digital Twin
arXiv:2410.09648
Abstract
The rapid evolution of 5G and beyond has advanced space-air-terrestrial networks, with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offering enhanced coverage, flexible configurations, and cost efficiency. However, deploying UAV-based systems presents challenges including varying propagation conditions and hardware limitations. While simulators and theoretical models have been developed, real-world experimentation is critically important to validate the research. Digital twins, virtual replicas of physical systems, enable emulation that bridge theory and practice. This paper presents our experimental results from AERPAW's digital twin, showcasing its ability to simulate UAV communication scenarios and providing insights into system performance and reliability.
This article has been accepted for publication in the IEEE VTC Fall 2024--UAV Communication and Experimentation Workshop