Indirect Propagation of Body-UAV LoRa Links over Wood and Suburb

The LoRa low-power wide-area protocol has recently been proposed as the enabling technology for a new generation of services and devices for search and rescue (SaR) operations. Consequently, the LoRa terrestrial propagation in a wide range of environments is being characterized worldwide to help design this new family of systems. Still, little is known about body-UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) channels, especially when the line-of-sight is obstructed. In this contribution, the body-UAV indirect propagation is investigated for the first time through experimental measurements. A log-distance model for links over wood is derived, and the capability of a flying receiver to bypass blockage due to suburban buildings is investigated.