Integrated Sensing, Communication, Computing, and Control Meets UAV Swarms in 6G

TL;DR

This paper explores how integrated sensing, communication, computing, and control (ISCCC) can enhance UAV swarm reliability and efficiency in 6G low-altitude wireless networks, proposing a three-layer structure and analyzing key challenges and solutions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel three-layer ISCCC framework tailored for UAV swarms in LAWN and demonstrates its effectiveness through a trajectory error minimization case study.

Findings

ISCCC improves UAV swarm reliability and efficiency

A three-layer ISCCC structure is proposed for different UAV requirements

Case study shows reduced trajectory error with ISCCC design

Abstract

To develop the low-altitude economy, the establishment of the low-altitude wireless network (LAWN) is the first priority. As the number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) increases, how to support the reliable flying and effective functioning of UAV swarms is challenging. Recently, the integrated sensing, communication, computing, and control (ISCCC) strategy was designed, which could act as effective physical {\it reflex arc} links in the intelligent LAWN system. Thus, in this article, we outline the challenges and opportunities when ISCCC meets UAV swarm in LAWN in 6G. First, we propose a three-layer ISCCC structure for the UAV swarm, which is categorized according to the UAV swarm's requirements, i.e., flying, self-organizing, and functioning. Second, for different scenarios, we study the basic problem, promising technologies, and challenges to design ISCCC for UAV swarms. Third, through a case study that minimizes the flying trajectory error of the UAV swarm based on the ISCCC principle, we show that ISCCC is promising to simultaneously improve the reliability and efficiency of LAWN via jointly designing four components. Finally, we discuss the promising directions for the ISCCC-based UAV swarm in LAWN.