Empirical Channel Models for UAV Communication: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) communications have received considerable attention in recent years as it can be applied to a wide range of applications. To expedite this development, it is essential to be able to model and accurately predict the wireless channels in UAV communication. Thus, in this paper, we compare various state-of-the-art empirical large-scale path loss models and provide quantitative insights into these models. Based on the operating frequency, environment, horizontal distance, and altitude, we recommend the suitable choice of empirical models for UAV communication. These insights not only facilitate more practical theoretical studies but also motivate measurement campaigns in the future.

Keywords

• Air-to-ground (AG) propagation
• empirical path loss model
• ground-to-air (GA) propagation
• unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)