Measurement Testbed for Radar and Emitter Localization of UAV at 3.75 GHz

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cost-effective, flexible measurement platform for UAV localization using radio signals, achieving high synchronization and positioning accuracy in urban environments, supporting research in integrated sensing and communication.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel COTS-based testbed enabling high-precision UAV localization and radar measurements, suitable for urban environments and supporting ISAC research.

Findings

Achieved nanosecond-level synchronization

Attained centimeter-level localization accuracy

Demonstrated system effectiveness in a 16 km² urban area

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental measurement platform for the research and development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) localization algorithms using radio emission and reflectivity. We propose a cost-effective, flexible testbed made from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices to allow academic research regarding the upcoming integration of UAV surveillance in existing mobile radio networks in terms of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). The system enables nanosecond-level synchronization accuracy and centimeter-level positioning accuracy for multiple distributed sensor nodes and a mobile UAV-mounted node. Results from a real-world measurement in a 16 km2 urban area demonstrate the system's performance with both emitter localization as well as with the radar setup.