Toward UAV-Aided RIS Communications

The advancement of wireless networks requires innovative technologies to enhance connectivity and meet smart city sustainability objectives. In this context, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) have emerged as a promising solution, as they can favorably shape the propagation environment with low cost, low complexity, and high energy efficiency. However, the fixed deployment of RISs hinders their full potential. Mounting RISs on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) presents an opportunity to overcome this limitation by exploiting UAV mobility to achieve panoramic, unobstructed reflections. However, the metasurface's electromagnetic response strongly depends on its position and orientation, making it vulnerable to UAV jitter. While current research primarily relies on analytical models and simulations to evaluate UAV-mounted RISs, real-world field trials are essential to guide their practical design. In this contribution, we propose a metasurface operating as an anomalous reflector, which redirects incoming signals to further enhance coverage. Future efforts will integrate this device into an experimental setup to assess UAV-aided RIS performance.