A Journey into the Opportunities and Challenges of UAV Communication

Speaker: Gianluca Fontanesi, Nokia Bell Labs
Date: Thursday, July 25, 2024

Abstract: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as powerful tools in many areas, revolutionizing fields such as aerial photography, surveillance, and delivery services. However, the effective communication between UAVs and ground stations is hampered by different challenges, as the unavailability of reliable connectivity, especially for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operation. This presentation delves into the world of UAV communication, exploring several opportunities it presents, from search and rescue to integrated sensing and communication, as well as the challenges that need to be overcome. The presentation starts with an overview of UAV communication protocols and technologies. In addition, relevant research results and insights are presented, with a particular focus on AI/ML solutions.

Brief Bio: Dr. Gianluca Fontanesi is a Research Engineer at Nokia Bell Labs, specializing in unlicensed communication and AI/ML. His research focuses on innovative techniques and AI/ML based optimizations for reliable low-latency communications in Wi-Fi 7/Wi-Fi 8. Dr. Gianluca Fontanesi has a background in Telecommunication with a Master from Politecnico Milano and a PhD from University College Dublin. He has published in top-tier journals and conferences, and he is guest Editor of Standard Communications Magazine. Prior to joining Nokia Bell Labs, Dr. Gianluca Fontanesi worked as a Radio engineer at Azcom technology and Eirsat-1, where he worked on cellular and air-to-ground communication and the development of the first irish satellite.