Advancing Networked Airborne Computing with MmWave for Air-to-Air Communications

Networked airborne computing (NAC) has witnessed a notable surge in interest over recent years. This emerging technology promises to enhance the onboard computing capabilities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), potentially revolutionizing both current and future applications. Despite its promise, there are substantial challenges impeding the realization of a high-performance NAC system. Among these, reducing communication delays between UAVs is a critical issue that needs immediate attention. Traditional sub-6GHz technologies prove inadequate in meeting the low-latency requirements essential for NAC applications that involve high data traffic. A promising solution to this challenge is the adoption of millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency bands for Air-to-Air (A2A) communications, which offer a wealth of spectrum resources. However, the integration of mmWave within NAC systems remains under-explored. To bridge this gap, this paper presents a comprehensive study on the design of advanced NAC systems, integrating mmWave for A2A communications. A holistic analysis from both hardware and software perspectives is conducted, providing valuable insights that will facilitate the development of advanced NAC systems with high airborne computing performance.