Hierarchical and Collaborative LLM-Based Control for Multi-UAV Motion and Communication in Integrated Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a hierarchical, collaborative control framework using large language models for multi-UAV systems in integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, improving safety and efficiency in aerial highway scenarios.

Contribution

It presents a novel LLM-based hierarchical control method for multi-UAV motion and communication, enabling strategic and tactical decision-making in complex environments.

Findings

Higher system rewards compared to baselines

Lower operational costs achieved

Significantly reduced UAV collision rates

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely adopted in various real-world applications. However, the control and optimization of multi-UAV systems remain a significant challenge, particularly in dynamic and constrained environments. This work explores the joint motion and communication control of multiple UAVs operating within integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks that include high-altitude platform stations (HAPS). Specifically, we consider an aerial highway scenario in which UAVs must accelerate, decelerate, and change lanes to avoid collisions and maintain overall traffic flow. Different from existing studies, we propose a novel hierarchical and collaborative method based on large language models (LLMs). In our approach, an LLM deployed on the HAPS performs UAV access control, while another LLM onboard each UAV handles motion planning and control. This LLM-based framework leverages the rich knowledge embedded in pre-trained models to enable both high-level strategic planning and low-level tactical decisions. This knowledge-driven paradigm holds great potential for the development of next-generation 3D aerial highway systems. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed collaborative LLM-based method achieves higher system rewards, lower operational costs, and significantly reduced UAV collision rates compared to baseline approaches.