The 5G deployment brings forth the usage of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to assist wireless networks by providing improved signal coverage, acting as relays or base-stations. Another technology that could help achieve 5G massive machine-type communications (mMtc) goals is the Long Range Wide-Area Network (LoRaWAN) communication protocol. This paper studied these complementary technologies, LoRa and UAV, through measurement campaigns in suburban, densely forested environments. Downlink and uplink communication at different heights and spreading factors (SF) demonstrate distinct behavior through our analysis. Moreover, a neural network was trained to predict the measured signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) behavior and results compared with SNR regression models. For the downlink scenario, the neural network results show a root mean square error (RMSE) variation between 1.2322–1.6623 dB, with an error standard deviation (SD) less than 1.6730 dB. For the uplink, the RMSE variation was between 0.8714–1.3891 dB, with an error SD less than 1.1706 dB.

This work presents and evaluates the use of geometric parameters of the environment in the prediction of the electric field in mixed city-river type environments, employing two techniques of Machine Learning (ML) as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Neuro-Fuzzy System (NFS). For its development, measurements were carried out in Amazon Region, Belém city, in the 521 MHz band. The input parameters for an ANN and NFS are the distance between transmitter and receiver, the distance only over the river, the height of the ground, the radius of the first Fresnel ellipsoid, and the electric field of free space. The ANN is a Multilayer Perceptron Network (MLP) that uses the Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm and cross-validation method. The NFS is an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) that uses the model Sugeno. The results obtained compared with the classic literature models (ITU-R 1546 and Okumura-Hata) in the city for distances up 20 km and over the river for distances up 5 km. A quantitative analysis is performed between the measured and predicted data through the Standard deviation (SD), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and the Grey Relational Grade, combined with the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (GRG-MAPE). For ANN, the SD is 2.13, the RMSE is 2.11 dB, and the GRG-MAPE is 0.96. Also, for the NFS, the SD is 1.99, the RMSE is 2.06 dB, and the GRG-MAPE is 0.97. It should be noted that the transition zone between the city and the river was characterized by the proposed ANN and NFS in contrast with the classic literature models, which did not demonstrate coherence in the transition zone.INDEX TERMS Artificial neural networks, geometric parameters, neuro-fuzzy systems, mixed city-river path, radio propagation model.

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The Internet of Things (IoT) device scenario has several emerging technologies. Among them, Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWANs) have proven to be efficient connections for smart devices. These devices communicate through gateways that exchange points with the central server. This study proposes an empirical and statistical methodology based on measurements carried out in a typical scenario of Amazonian cities composed of forests and buildings on the Campus of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) to apply an adjustment to the coefficients in the UFPA propagation model. Furthermore, an Evolutionary Particle Swarm Optimization (EPSO) metaheuristic with multi-objective optimization was applied to maximize the coverage area and minimize the number of gateways to assist in the planning of a LoRa network. The results of simulations using the Monte Carlo method show that the EPSO-based gateway placement optimization methodology can be used to plan future LPWAN networks. As reception sensitivity is a decisive factor in the coverage area, with −108 dBm, the optimal solution determined the use of three gateways to cover the smart campus area.