Low-Latency Communication for Real-Time UAV Applications
A special issue of Drones (ISSN 2504-446X). This special issue belongs to the section "Drone Communications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 2
Special Issue Editors
Interests: computer security; IoT security; software security
Interests: 5G; cloud computing; system security
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Drones are increasingly deployed in critical applications where real-time data and control are paramount (e.g., emergency response, industrial inspection, urban air mobility, autonomous delivery, aerial mapping for smart cities, and immersive XR streaming). These use cases demand communication networks with ultra-low latency and high reliability, as even minimal delays can impact performance or safety. Emerging wireless technologies (e.g., 5G, 6G, and beyond) offer ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) capabilities, making end-to-end latencies of only a few milliseconds possible. Ensuring near-instantaneous, robust links between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ground stations, and edge/cloud systems is crucial for unlocking autonomous drone operations, swarm coordination, and other time-sensitive UAV applications.
This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research on communication architectures, protocols, and technologies that enable low-latency, real-time UAV operations. The focus is on bridging the gap between emerging network innovations and the stringent latency requirements of drone missions, in line with Drones’ scope on UAV communications. We welcome contributions showing how novel wireless network designs, edge computing paradigms, or cross-layer optimizations can support latency-sensitive UAV use cases. By highlighting fast and reliable connectivity solutions, this issue underscores the vital role of communications in expanding UAV capabilities.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Next-generation (5G/6G) networks for UAVs: ultra-reliable low-latency links, network slicing, and UAV-oriented URLLC techniques.
- Edge and fog computing for drones: mobile edge computing, fog nodes, and AI-driven network optimization to minimize latency.
- Real-time UAV network protocols and architectures: novel MAC and routing protocols, mesh/ad hoc networks, and UAV-to-X communications for drone swarms.
- Coordinated multi-UAV systems: swarm communications, cooperative sensing, and collision avoidance requiring instantaneous data exchange.
- Latency-critical UAV applications and testbeds: teleoperation, live video streaming, autonomous delivery, search-and-rescue, etc., demonstrating minimal-delay performance.
Research articles and review papers with strong theoretical analysis, real-world implementations, proof-of-concept systems, or rigorous and thorough simulations are especially encouraged.
Prof. Dr. Angelos Stavrou
Dr. Tolga O. Atalay
Dr. Alireza Famili
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Drones is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- low-latency communication
- real-time UAV applications
- 5G/6G networks
- ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC)
- edge computing for drones
- UAV swarm communication
- next-generation wireless systems
- mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) for UAVs
- autonomous drone networks
- latency-aware protocols
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