Airborne and Vehicular Millimeter-wave Wireless Networking
Abstract
The use of millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum for wireless networking is leading the way in the design and development of 5G wireless networks which will provide multi-gigabit per second data rates. With the development of standards like 3GPP 5G NR, IEEE 802.11ad, and 802.11ay, mmWave wireless can enable a wide range of novel, high-speed, low-latency applications that were not feasible with traditional wireless networking standards. In the case of the military, gigabit mmWave links can enable real-time UHD video streaming between the Internet of battlefield things (IoBT) including UAVs, ground troops, and armored vehicles for coordinated combat response and agile maneuvering. When the mmWave radios are mounted on UAVs, aerial devices can provide high-speed wireless connectivity to terrestrial clients. UAV-based mmWave wireless networking is increasingly becoming attractive in civilian and defense applications due to its gigabit capacity, superior flexibility, and low cost of maintenance. The objective of this project is to develop a state-of-the-art UAV and vehicular mmWave wireless networking and computing testbed at George Mason University. Our testbed will consist of battery-powered and gas-electric hybrid hexacopters and vehicular nodes which will be augmented with mmWave radios. We will leverage the commercial off-the-shelf IEEE 802.11ad 60 GHz mmWave wireless radios with multiple patches of phased antenna arrays to support gigabit backhauling between UAVs and fronthauling with terrestrial clients. The testbed will also include mmWave software radios with superior MAC and PHY reconfigurability and control. The UAVs and vehicles will also be equipped with low-cost LiDAR and mmWave ranging/imaging sensors to improve the beamforming performance in unknown terrains. The proposed testbed will enhance the quality of research for our proposed and currently ongoing DoD-sponsored research projects. In our proposed project, we are addressing the challenges associated with operating high-speed, directional mmWave links in highly mobile network topologies. In our ongoing projects, we are investigating the use of multi-attribute time series analysis for anomaly detection in dynamic systems such as the UAV-based mmWave cyberphysical system. The testbed will be crucial in developing and evaluating operational signatures for use in RF and packet data behavioral monitoring in wireless CPS systems. The proposed testbed will enable us to establish new research capabilities in the areas of mutual interest to the DoD and researchers at GMU. The PIs are specifically interested in investigating three research vectors targeted towards reliability, energy efficiency, self-organization, and survivability of UAV-based mmWave systems. First, our work will address the energy efficiency challenges of UAV swarms to ensure persistent connectivity to terrestrial clients. Second, we will use the testbed to investigate how mmWave networks can operate reliably in austere terrains with no prior knowledge of mmWave propagation. Third, our UAV-based testbed will enable us to explore novel defense techniques such as cooperative jamming to prevent eavesdropping and detection attacks in adversarial military settings.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 19, 2023
- Source ID
- W911NF2310061
Entities
People
- Parth H. Pathak
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- George Mason University
- United States Army