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Mounting RIS Panels on Tethered and Untethered UAVs: A Survey

  • Review Article-Computer Engineering and Computer Science
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Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) are innovative technologies that aim to enhance the quality of communication in next-generation networks. These technologies are individually tailored to specific applications and have demonstrated impressive results. UAVs are known for their flexibility and ease of deployment, while RIS can adapt to changing environments by altering the traditional propagation and reflection schemes. Recent research has combined these two technologies for various applications, improving communication and data transmission in next-generation networks. This paper surveys recent advancements in using tethered and untethered UAVs and RIS in 5G/6G networks. The main objective of this survey is to inspire further solutions that support RIS-assisted UAVs and to provide insights not covered in published UAV–RIS surveys. The survey summarizes how UAVs and RIS can be used to address communication issues. Two case studies are presented to further illustrate this integration’s potential benefits. The first case study demonstrates a UAV mounting an RIS to mitigate the impact of base station fronthaul failure. The results suggest that co-locating tethered UAVs with a selected number of base stations can proactively restore any failed fronthaul links. The second case study explores the 3D trajectory of the UAV and the phase shift design of the RIS based on the number of RIS elements and height placement of the UAV. The study considers an untethered UAV with a terrestrial RIS and shows that the propulsion energy of the UAV can be reduced by changing and adjusting the height of the UAV.

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  1. Ahmad M. Nazar and Mohamed Y. Selim have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Ahmad M. Nazar, Mohamed Y. Selim & Ahmed E. Kamal

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  1. Ahmad M. Nazar
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  2. Mohamed Y. Selim
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  3. Ahmed E. Kamal
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Correspondence to Mohamed Y. Selim.

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Nazar, A.M., Selim, M.Y. & Kamal, A.E. Mounting RIS Panels on Tethered and Untethered UAVs: A Survey. Arab J Sci Eng 49, 2857–2885 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-023-08603-0

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