UAV Meets Integrated Sensing and Communication: Challenges and Future Directions

Currently, sensing and communication are two indispensable functions in the UAV platform while these two modules are independent in hardware. However, the similarities between them seem a growing trend, such as hardware, channel characteristics, signal processing methods, etc. Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) has been the hot topic to alleviate the issue of low spectrum efficiency and pursuit the hardware gain and integration gain as far as possible. As the vital platform for the sensing and communication functions, UAV is facing great potential for development when meeting ISAC. If ISAC load replaces the independent communication load and sensing load, UAV will be more flexible due to the reduction of load weight. Moreover, the capacity of sensing and communication functions will be mutually beneficial, gradually deriving a new information theory. Motivated by this, this article focuses on the possible challenges and future directions of ISAC-empowered UAV. More specifically, ISAC between UAV and base station is firstly discussed from the angles of base station for UAV and UAV for base station. Then, ISAC with UAV swarm is exploited, including ISAC for swarm internal, ISAC for swarm external and ISAC-enabled UAV swarm. Finally, UAV-assisted sensing for ground targets is analyzed. This article aims at providing our superficial opinions for ISAC-enabled UAV and UAV-assisted ISAC, promoting the further progress of ISAC, UAV and their integration.