Autonomous Sensing UAV for Accurate Multi-User Identification and Localization in LAWN

TL;DR

This paper introduces an autonomous UAV-based sensing system for identifying and localizing multiple users in 5G networks, capable of operating independently without network infrastructure during flight.

Contribution

It presents a novel passive sensing framework with onboard processing for real-time user identification and localization using UAVs in 5G environments.

Findings

Localization errors below 8 meters in urban scenarios

Errors below 3 meters in rural tests

Reliable synchronization and user identification achieved

Abstract

This paper presents an autonomous sensing framework for identifying and localizing multiple users in Fifth Generation (5G) cooperative networks using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that is not part of the serving access network. Unlike conventional aerial serving nodes, the proposed UAV operates passively and is dedicated solely to sensing. Passively receiving Uplink (UL) Sounding Reference Signals (SRS), the UAV requires only minimal initial coordination with the network infrastructure during the mission. A complete signal processing chain is proposed and developed, encompassing synchronization, user identification, and localization, all executed onboard UAV during flight. The system autonomously plans and adapts its mission workflow to estimate multiple user positions within a single deployment, integrating flight control with real-time sensing. The approach is validated through extensive simulations and a full-scale low-altitude experimental campaign. Urban simulation scenarios show localization errors below 8 m, while rural field tests achieve errors below 3 m, with reliable synchronization and user identification ensured in both cases. The results confirm the feasibility of infrastructure-independent sensing UAVs as a core element of the emerging Low Altitude Economy (LAE), supporting situational awareness and rapid deployment in emergency or connectivity-limited environments.