Performance Enhancement of 5G Cellular-Connected UAV in Palm Oil Plantation Using Antenna Beamforming

The oil palm industry in Malaysia faces challenges due to limited resources for monitoring plantations, leading to significant losses in time and finances. To enhance efficiency, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV s) are proposed as a solution, leveraging 5G technology crucial for IoT applications in agriculture. Cellular-connected UAVs, especially those using 5G, hold promise across industries, operating in risky environments and conducting surveys at great heights. However, received signals from the base station weaken as UAV altitude increases, posing a challenge and limiting the UAV's operational altitude. Thus, optimizing UAV antennas becomes crucial for signal reception at higher altitudes. This study aims to formulate antenna beamforming strategies to improve 5G network performance in palm oil plantations. Simulation using MATLAB's Antenna Toolbox estimates the uplink transmission capacity at various UAV distances and elevations. Findings reveal the potential for high-speed uplink transmission using a 3×3 array microstrip patch antenna, surpassing non-array antennas. Additionally, findings demonstrate that optimal uplink capacity performance can be achieved by using a beamforming antenna which combines two microstrip patch antennas oriented at 90° and 135°. These insights highlight the potential of UAVs and antenna optimization in revolutionizing monitoring and data transmission efficiency in oil palm plantations.