Drone-Base-Station for Next-Generation Internet-of-Things: A Comparison of Swarm Intelligence Approaches

Abstract

The emergence of next-generation internet-of-things (NG-IoT) applications introduces several challenges for the sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks, such as massive connectivity, increased network capacity, and extremely low-latency. To countermeasure the aforementioned challenges, ultra-dense networking has been widely identified as a possible solution. However, the dense deployment of base stations (BSs) is not always possible or cost-efficient. Drone-base-stations (DBSs) can facilitate network expansion and efficiently address the requirements of NG-IoT. In addition, due to their flexibility, they can provide on-demand connectivity in emergency scenarios or address temporary increases in network traffic. Nevertheless, the optimal placement of a DBS is not a straightforward task due to the limited energy reserves and the increased signal quality degradation in air-to-ground links. To this end, swarm intelligence approaches can be attractive solutions for determining the optimal position of the DBS in the three-dimensional (3D) space. In this work, we explore well-known swarm intelligence approaches, namely the Cuckoo Search (CS), Elephant Herd Optimization (EHO), Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO), Monarch Butterfly Optimization (MBO), Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and investigate their performance and efficiency in solving the aforementioned problem. In particular, we investigate the performance of three scenarios in the presence of different swarm intelligence approaches. Additionally, we carry out non-parametric statistical tests, namely the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests, in order to compare the different approaches.

IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation: Reflections Two Years on

“…Eight article collections have been published in Special Sections, each comprising 5-14 articles dedicated to advanced antenna technologies for 5G Internet-of-Things (IoT) [1] and smart health [2] applications, advancements in array design and robust array signal processing [3], direct and inverse electromagnetic scattering methods [4], electric and magnetic coupling for near-field systems [5], origami antennas [6], applications of liquid antennas [7], and reconfigurable antennas for compact devices [8]. Moreover, an expanding cluster of articles has been curated with shared data and code, focusing on issues pertaining to antenna design and IoT applications [9]- [11].…”

“…Eight article collections have been published in Special Sections, each comprising 5-14 articles dedicated to advanced antenna technologies for 5G Internet-of-Things (IoT) [1] and smart health [2] applications, advancements in array design and robust array signal processing [3], direct and inverse electromagnetic scattering methods [4], electric and magnetic coupling for near-field systems [5], origami antennas [6], applications of liquid antennas [7], and reconfigurable antennas for compact devices [8]. Moreover, an expanding cluster of articles has been curated with shared data and code, focusing on issues pertaining to antenna design and IoT applications [9]- [11].Our authors' and readers' growing interest is reflected in the number of submissions, that exceeded 300, and in more than 165,000 article views and downloads (until November 2021). According to IEEE TAB Periodicals Committee Chairs' report for June 2021, OJAP has been ranked second among all IEEE gold open access journals in terms of the number of submissions and article usage.…”

Threatening the 5G Core via PFCP DoS Attacks: The Case of Blocking UAV Communications

“…This is allowed for, by increasing the limit in the number of interconnected devices. Furthermore, 5G communications increase data rates by orders of magnitude, whilst offering near real-time responsiveness and addressing a spectrum of newly introduced requirements [1]. As we discussed in [2], through 5G cellular connectivity we can assist the industrial and academic landscape in addressing important challenges, by narrowing them down two five main issues (e.g., energy, mobility, positioning, security, and offered Quality of Service (QoS)).…”

Drones in B5G/6G Networks as Flying Base Stations

“…Next-generation cellular communications constitute a key enabler of the greater adoption of next-generation Internet of Things (NG-IoT)-based technologies, by allowing an increase in the number of interconnected orders of magnitude, offering high data rates and near real-time responsiveness as well as addressing various requirements of NG-IoT [1]. Elevated security, better quality of service (QoS), reduced end-to-end delay and higher datarates are directly correlated to the utilization of higher frequencies, which in turn demand more power and introduce additional dependencies and overhead at the hardware and software levels.…”