Elevation- and Tilt-Aware Shadow Fading Correlation Modeling for UAV Communications

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Rahman, Mushfiqur, Guvenc, Ismail, Sichitiu, Mihail, Abrahamson, Jason A., Petersen, Bryton J., Mishra, Amitabh, Bhuyan, Arupjyoti
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Rahman, Mushfiqur
Guvenc, Ismail
Sichitiu, Mihail
Abrahamson, Jason A.
Petersen, Bryton J.
Mishra, Amitabh
Bhuyan, Arupjyoti
author_facet Rahman, Mushfiqur
Guvenc, Ismail
Sichitiu, Mihail
Abrahamson, Jason A.
Petersen, Bryton J.
Mishra, Amitabh
Bhuyan, Arupjyoti
contents Future wireless networks demand a more accurate understanding of channel behavior to enable efficient communication with reduced interference. Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are poised to play an integral role in these networks, offering versatile applications and flexible deployment options. However, accurately characterizing the shadow fading (SF) behavior in UAV communications remains a challenge. Traditional SF correlation models rely on spatial distance and neglect the UAV's 3D orientation and elevation angle. Yet even slight variations in pitch angle (5 to 10 degrees) can significantly affect the signal strength observed by a UAV. In this study, we investigate the impact of UAV pitch and elevation geometry on SF and propose an elevation- and tilt-aware spatial correlation model. We use a real-world fixed-altitude UAV measurement dataset collected in a rural environment at 3.32 GHz with a 125 kHz bandwidth. Results show that a 10-degree tilt-angle separation and a 20-degree elevation-angle separation can reduce the SF correlation by up to 15% and 40%, respectively. In addition, integrating the proposed correlation model into the ordinary Kriging (OK) framework for signal strength prediction yields an approximate 1.5 dB improvement in median RMSE relative to the traditional correlation model that ignores UAV orientation and elevation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_05332
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Elevation- and Tilt-Aware Shadow Fading Correlation Modeling for UAV Communications
Rahman, Mushfiqur
Guvenc, Ismail
Sichitiu, Mihail
Abrahamson, Jason A.
Petersen, Bryton J.
Mishra, Amitabh
Bhuyan, Arupjyoti
Signal Processing
Future wireless networks demand a more accurate understanding of channel behavior to enable efficient communication with reduced interference. Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are poised to play an integral role in these networks, offering versatile applications and flexible deployment options. However, accurately characterizing the shadow fading (SF) behavior in UAV communications remains a challenge. Traditional SF correlation models rely on spatial distance and neglect the UAV's 3D orientation and elevation angle. Yet even slight variations in pitch angle (5 to 10 degrees) can significantly affect the signal strength observed by a UAV. In this study, we investigate the impact of UAV pitch and elevation geometry on SF and propose an elevation- and tilt-aware spatial correlation model. We use a real-world fixed-altitude UAV measurement dataset collected in a rural environment at 3.32 GHz with a 125 kHz bandwidth. Results show that a 10-degree tilt-angle separation and a 20-degree elevation-angle separation can reduce the SF correlation by up to 15% and 40%, respectively. In addition, integrating the proposed correlation model into the ordinary Kriging (OK) framework for signal strength prediction yields an approximate 1.5 dB improvement in median RMSE relative to the traditional correlation model that ignores UAV orientation and elevation.
title Elevation- and Tilt-Aware Shadow Fading Correlation Modeling for UAV Communications
topic Signal Processing
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.05332