THz-Empowered UAVs in 6G: Opportunities, Challenges, and Trade-offs

Envisioned use cases of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) impose new service requirements in terms of data rate, latency, and sensing accuracy, to name a few. Meeting such requirements enable highly reliable and harmonized integration of UAVs in the 6G ecosystem. Toward this, terahertz (THz) bands are perceived as a prospective technological enabler for various improved functionalities, such as ultra-high throughput communication, accurate localization, and enhanced sensing capabilities. In this article, we provide the potential opportunities and use cases of THz-empowered UAVs, corresponding novel design challenges, and resulting trade-offs. Furthermore, we overview recent advances in UAV deployment regulations, THz standardization, and health aspects related to THz bands. Finally, we take UAV-to-UAV (U2U) communication as a case study to provide numerical insights into the impact of various system design parameters and environment factors.