Omnidirectional Multi-Rotor Aerial Vehicle Pose Optimization: A Novel Approach to Physical Layer Security

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel pose optimization method for omnidirectional multi-rotor aerial vehicles to enhance physical layer security against jamming attacks by maximizing SINR for ground communication nodes.

Contribution

It introduces pose optimization for omnidirectional MRAVs as an alternative to beamforming for countering jamming attacks, focusing on independent control of position and orientation.

Findings

Pose optimization improves SINR for ground nodes under jamming.

Omnidirectional MRAVs can effectively counteract malicious interference.

The approach enhances physical layer security in drone-assisted networks.

Abstract

The integration of Multi-Rotor Aerial Vehicles (MRAVs) into 5G and 6G networks enhances coverage, connectivity, and congestion management. This fosters communication-aware robotics, exploring the interplay between robotics and communications, but also makes the MRAVs susceptible to malicious attacks, such as jamming. One traditional approach to counter these attacks is the use of beamforming on the MRAVs to apply physical layer security techniques. In this paper, we explore pose optimization as an alternative approach to countering jamming attacks on MRAVs. This technique is intended for omnidirectional MRAVs, which are drones capable of independently controlling both their position and orientation, as opposed to the more common underactuated MRAVs whose orientation cannot be controlled independently of their position. In this paper, we consider an omnidirectional MRAV serving as a Base Station (BS) for legitimate ground nodes, under attack by a malicious jammer. We optimize the MRAV pose (i.e., position and orientation) to maximize the minimum Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) over all legitimate nodes.