UAV Trajectory and Communication Co-Design: Flexible Path Discretization and Path Compression

The performance optimization of UAV communication systems requires the joint design trajectory and efficiently. To tackle challenge infinite variables arising from continuous-time optimization, a commonly adopted approach in existing literature is by approximating with piecewise-linear path segments connected via finite number waypoints three-dimensional (3D) space. However, this may still incur prohibitive computational complexity practice when flight period/distance becomes long, as distance between consecutive needs to be kept sufficiently small retain high approximation accuracy. resolve fundamental issue, we propose paper new xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">general framework for co-design flexible waypoint (called xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">designable waypoints) or their xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">sub-path representations. First, xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">flexible discretization scheme that optimizes only selected (designable along reduction, while all designable non-designable are used calculating approximated utility ensuring discretization Next, novel xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">path compression scheme, which treats signal compresses its representation based on basis decomposition. Specifically, 3D first decomposed into three one-dimensional (1D) sub-paths each sub-path then superimposing paths (which generally less than weighted corresponding coefficients, thus further reducing complexity. Finally, provide case study aerial data harvesting distributed sensors, numerically show proposed compression schemes can significantly reduce yet achieve favorable rate compared conventional path/time schemes.