Low-Altitude Wireless Networks
Primary Technical Committee:
Signal Processing for Communication and Networking (SPCOM)
Other Relevant Technical Committees:
Sensor Array and Multichannel (SAM)
We will also liaise externally with IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc), Control Systems Society (CSS), and Robotics & Automation Society (RAS) where appropriate.
Motivation
The rapid development of low-altitude aerial platforms, such as drones, has created an urgent need for intelligent, resilient, and multifunctional wireless networks capable of operating in complex, dynamic environments. Low-Altitude Wireless Networks (LAWN) represent a paradigm shift from traditional aerial communication systems by integrating connectivity, sensing, control, and computing into a unified, reconfigurable 3D architecture. This integration enables transformative applications, including autonomous drone swarms, real-time disaster response, and smart city infrastructure monitoring, all of which rely heavily on advanced signal processing techniques. The IEEE Signal Processing Society is uniquely positioned to lead the development of LAWN due to its expertise in signal processing for communications, sensing, and control. Distinctive factors include:
- Air-to-Ground (A2G) channel physics at low altitude: rapid transitions between LoS/NLoS due to buildings, terrain, and foliage; near-ground multipath and urban-canyon scattering; altitude-dependent path-loss and LoS probability; strong Doppler/angular dynamics tied to UAV attitude and trajectory.
- Platform-induced impairments: rotor-blade micro-Doppler, vibration and airframe shadowing; orientation-dependent polarization mismatch; payload interference and strict SWaP (size, weight, and power) limits.
- Safety-critical control links: ultra-reliable, low-latency command-and-control (C2) with graceful degradation under blockage and interference; resilience under GNSS-denied or contested environments.
- Airspace integration constraints: dynamic geo-fencing, remote identification, and local traffic management (UTM/U-space) interfaces that directly shape spectrum access and network topology.
Why an SPS TWG now? These factors call for new signal processing foundations, including channels, waveforms, inference, and control-aware communications, that are specific to LAWN, not generic “ad-hoc/ISAC/semantic communications for drones.” This TWG will crystallize a focused, cross-disciplinary community to develop and standardize those LAWN-specific methods.
Scope of the TWG
The Technical Working Group (TWG) on Low-Altitude Wireless Networks (LAWN) aims to advance the research, development, and standardization of signal processing techniques for reconfigurable, three-dimensional (3D) wireless networks operating in low-altitude airspace. The TWG will focus on the integration of sensing, communication, control, and computing functionalities within LAWN architectures, addressing the unique challenges of dynamic, mission-critical environments. Key distinct areas of investigation include:
- Low-Altitude A2G/3D Channel & Interference Modeling: Measurement-driven stochastic and geometry-based models that capture urban, terrain, and foliage effects unique to low altitudes, explicitly accounting for altitude and attitude dependence and intermittent LoS/NLoS transitions; outputs include 3D interference maps spanning aerial nodes, ground users, and infrastructure.
- Energy- and SWaP-Aware PHY/MAC Design: Waveform, coding, and scheduling co-design under strict battery and SWaP constraints typical of small UAVs, emphasizing low-complexity beamforming/beam-tracking and cross-layer energy budgeting tailored to mission profiles and endurance targets.
- C2 Reliability & Latency: Link designs and adaptation strategies that maintain ultra-reliable, low-latency C2 under mobility, blockage, and interference; approaches include diversity combining across frequency/space/trajectory, risk-aware link adaptation, and fail-safe “minimum viable connectivity” modes.
- LAWN-Tailored ISAC & Navigation: Joint sensing/communications methods that exploit low-altitude geometries while suppressing rotor/airframe interference, with cooperative mapping and obstacle-aware perception integrated with link maintenance and beam control to stabilize connectivity.
- 3D Spectrum Sharing Aligned with Airspace Services: Signal-processing methods for dynamic spectrum access that respect Remote-ID and UTM/U-space geo-constraints; predictive interference avoidance leveraging traffic corridors, altitude layers, and airspace advisories to shape spectrum usage and topology.
- Resilience & Security for Low-Altitude Operations: Physical-layer security and anti-jamming/spoofing techniques complemented by anomaly detection from RF/IMU/vision fusion, with navigation robustnessenhanced using opportunistic signals and cross-modal sensing to sustain connectivity in contested or GNSS-denied environments.
Liaison Plan
- With SPCOM TC: co-sponsor events where semantic communications and spectrum sharing are re-cast under LAWN constraints (energy, UTM/remote-ID, intermittent LoS).
- With ISAC TWG: joint events on LAWN-tailored ISAC (obstacle-aware beam tracking, rotor-induced interference suppression, control-aware sensing).
- With SAM TC: collaborate on array calibration and 3D beamforming subject to low-altitude dynamics/SWaP limits.
Expected Tangible Outcomes
- Online Seminar Series: Host a series of online seminars inviting experts from IEEE societies like ComSoc, SPS, CSS, CS, and RAS to discuss LAWN topics;
- Online Tutorial Series: Develop tutorials on LAWN signal processing;
- Workshops at Flagship Conferences: Organize LAWN-focused workshops at IEEE ICASSP, SPAWC, ICC, and GlobeCom;
- Special Issues in IEEE Journals/Magazines: Propose and manage special issues in IEEE journals
On-going CFPs:- IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering Special Issue on Security and Privacy in Low Altitude Networking. (Deadline: Aug. 1, 2025)
- IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology Special Issue on Low-Altitude Wireless Networks. (Deadline: Feb. 15, 2026)
- IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing Special Issue on Advanced Signal Processing and AI for Low-Altitude Wireless Networks. (Deadline: Nov. 16, 2025)
- Student Design Challenge: Launch a student competition to design signal processing solutions for LAWN;
- Industry-Academia Roundtable on LAWN Standards and Spectrum Policy;
- Open-Source LAWN Simulator and Dataset Launch;
- Organize PhD training program on LAWN: Establish a PhD training program focused on LAWN signal processing;
- Standardization Working Group: Form a working group to develop standards for UAS traffic management, spectrum coexistence, and safety.
