Sensing and Communication for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Networks
A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Communications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: federated learning; edge/fog computing; UAV/vehicular networking
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks are fast becoming critical infrastructure for emergency response, environmental monitoring, smart agriculture, logistics, and beyond. Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) on aerial platforms offer a compelling path to higher spectrum/energy efficiency and resilience by sharing hardware, spectrum, and control loops. However, due to the size, weight, and power constraints of UAVs, their controllable mobility, and the line-of-sight air–ground channels, ISAC-enabled UAV networks introduce new opportunities and challenges. This Special Issue seeks contributions that harness the duality of sensing-assisted UAV communication and communication-assisted sensing to deliver measurable gains in reliability, latency, coverage, and efficiency. We seek high-quality original research papers on relevant topics related to ISAC-enabled UAV networks including, but not limited to, the following: resource allocation/ waveform design for ISAC-enabled UAV networks, deployment/trajectory design for ISAC-enabled UAV networks, and AI strategies for UAV-enabled ISAC, sensing-assisted UAV communication, etc.
We especially welcome cross-layer designs that couple waveform/protocol co-design with joint trajectory–beamforming–scheduling optimization, cooperative multi-UAV sensing/relaying, and edge intelligence for real-time decision-making. In other words, this Special Issue aims to catalyze practical, energy-efficient, and scalable low-altitude networks for 6G and beyond.
Prof. Dr. Zheng Chang
Guest Editor
Dr. Mingan Luan
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- integrated sensing and communication (ISAC)
- sensing-assisted UAV communication
- resource allocation for ISAC-enabled UAV networks
- deployment/trajectory design for UAV networks
- AI strategies for ISAC-enabled UAV networks
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