3D deployment optimization of UAVs with optical wireless communications for sum data rate maximization

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained significant attention in recent years due to their exceptional adaptability and maneuverability. This paper investigates the three-dimensional (3D) deployment of UAVs equipped with visible light communication (VLC) capabilities, aiming to maximize the sum data rate. To this end, the system model is established and an efficient algorithm is proposed, with detailed analyses of the computational complexity. Besides, the simulation results indicate the proposed method achieves the best performance in both the sum data rate and the coverage ratio, compared to existing UAV deployment algorithms. Moreover, the effects of both the shot noise induced by the periodic solar radiation and the attenuation of optical signals are also discussed.