Efficient UAV Coverage in Large Convex Quadrilateral Areas with Elliptical Footprints

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have gained significant attention for improving wireless communication, especially in emergencies or as a complement to existing cellular infrastructure. This letter addresses the problem of efficiently covering a large convex quadrilateral using multiple UAVs, where each UAV generates elliptical coverage footprints based on its altitude and antenna tilt. The challenge is approached using circle-packing techniques within a unit square to arrange UAVs in an optimal configuration. Subsequently, a homography transformation is applied to map the unit square onto the quadrilateral area, ensuring that the UAVs' elliptical footprints cover the entire region. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, providing insight into coverage density and optimal altitude configurations for different placement scenarios. The results highlight the scalability and potential for improving UAV-based communication systems, focusing on maximizing coverage efficiency in large areas with irregular shapes.