In-Flight Pose and Electromagnetic Experimental Characterization of UAV-Mounted Metasurfaces for Next-Generation Indoor Wireless Systems

As well known, the integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS) can enhance the reliability, coverage, robustness, and efficiency of next-generation wireless and mobile networks. Nevertheless, the performance of UAV-mounted Passive Metasurfaces (PMs), referred to as Aerial PMs (APMs), is significantly influenced by system configurations, electromagnetic signal propagation, UAV mobility, and wobbling. While most state-of-the-art studies rely on analytical models and simulations to assess these factors, this work presents an experimental investigation of an APM in a realistic operating environment. To this end, we developed an advanced experimental testbed that combines a precision tracking system with real-time electromagnetic measurements, enabling a detailed characterization of the metasurface response in an indoor scenario. Additionally, we compared the feasibility of APMs against a static setup where the metasurface is mounted on a fixed structure. Experimental results demonstrate that APMs can effectively maintain signal quality and spectral efficiency. However, they also reveal the impact of positioning, orientation, and in-flight stability on overall system performance. Our observations provide interesting insights into optimizing Aerial IRS-assisted networks, contributing to the design of more robust solutions for the Beyond 5th and 6th Generation networks.