This paper considers the problem of ground user localization based on received signal strength (RSS) measurements obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). We treat UAV-user link channel model parameters and antenna radiation pattern of the UAV as unknowns that need to be estimated. A hybrid channel model is proposed that consists of a traditional path loss model combined with a neural network approximating the UAV antenna gain function. With this model and a set of offline RSS measurements, the unknown parameters are estimated. We then employ the particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique which utilizes the learned hybrid channel model along with a 3D map of the environment to accurately localize the ground users. The performance of the developed algorithm is evaluated through simulations and also real-world experiments.
@article{arxiv.2205.03327,
title = {UAV-aided Wireless Node Localization Using Hybrid Radio Channel Models},
author = {Omid Esrafilian and Rajeev Gangula and David Gesbert},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2205.03327},
year = {2022}
}