A UAV-assisted Wireless Localization Challenge on AERPAW

TL;DR

This paper discusses the AERPAW platform and its inaugural challenge to localize wireless signals using aerial drones, demonstrating its potential for realistic wireless research validation.

Contribution

It introduces the AERPAW platform and details the first challenge, showcasing automated drone-based wireless localization in a large-scale testbed environment.

Findings

Successful localization of a wireless signal within 10 minutes

Automation of drone control for rapid signal detection

Validation of AERPAW as a realistic experimental platform

Abstract

As wireless researchers are tasked to enable wireless communication as infrastructure in more dynamic aerial settings, there is a growing need for large-scale experimental platforms that provide realistic, reproducible, and reliable experimental validation. To bridge the research-to-implementation gap, the Aerial Experimentation and Research Platform for Advanced Wireless (AERPAW) offers open-source tools, reference experiments, and hardware to facilitate and evaluate the development of wireless research in controlled digital twin environments and live testbed flights. The inaugural AERPAW Challenge, "Find a Rover," was issued to spark collaborative efforts and test the platform's capabilities. The task involved localizing a narrowband wireless signal, with teams given ten minutes to find the "rover" within a twenty-acre area. By engaging in this exercise, researchers can validate the platform's value as a tool for innovation in wireless communications research within aerial robotics. This paper recounts the methods and experiences of the top three teams in automating and rapidly locating a wireless signal by automating and controlling an aerial drone in a realistic testbed scenario.