Kandregula, V R; Zaharis, Z D; Ahmed, Q Z; Khan, F A; Loh, T H; Schreiber, J; Serres, A J R; Lazaridis, P I (2024) A review of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Based Antenna and Propagation Measurements. Sensors, 24 (22). 7395

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Abstract

Accurate in-situ antenna measurements are crucial for many applications, but the traditional method of using helicopters and conventional spectrum analyzers is costly. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based antenna and propagation measurements offer a cost-effective alternative, allowing for tests to be performed with minimal modifications, such as changing the UAV antenna depending on themeasured frequency band. This survey paper explores various UAV measurement scenarios for near-field and far-field conditions, and reviews recent test cases in antenna measurements, including those for mobile BAse STation Antennas (BASTA), low-frequency aperture arrays, the biconical antennas of the French aerospace research centre – Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), and reflector antenna systems on ships. This study also covers the factors affecting the accuracy of UAV-based measurements, common errors in broadcasting systems antenna setups, and signal propagation measurements. Finally, the current state-of-the-art in UAV probe antennas and guidelines for selecting a UAV probe antenna to improve measurement accuracy are discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	absorbers; broadcasting systems; knife edge diffraction (KED); parabolic reflector; path loss; propagation measurements; square kilometer array (SKA); UAV-based measurements; unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
Subjects:	Electromagnetics > Wireless Communications
Divisions:	Electromagnetic & Electrochemical Technologies
Identification number/DOI:	10.3390/s24227395
Last Modified:	09 Jul 2025 14:30
URI:	https://eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/id/eprint/10198