Wideband and high gain antenna arrays for UAV‐to‐UAV and UAV‐to‐ground communication in flying ad‐hoc networks (FANETs)

A directional 1 × 2 and 2 × 2 microstrip patch antenna array is proposed for UAV‐to‐UAV and UAV‐to‐ground communication in next generation flying ad‐hoc networks (FANETs). The antenna arrays resonate in the 5 GHz frequency band. These antennas were designed and simulated using Agilent ADS Momentum using Rogers RT/Duroid 5880LZ substrate ( ɛ r = 1.96 and h = 2.54 mm). A hybrid feed technique is used for the antenna arrays with a quarter‐wave transformer‐based network to match the impedance from the feed‐point to the antenna to 50 Ω. The antenna is optimized to achieve directional radiation pattern by introducing two symmetrical slots at the non‐radiating edges of the patch. The gain achieved for the single‐element antenna, 1 × 2 and 2 × 2 antenna arrays are 7.5 dBi, 9.4 dBi, and 10.8 dBi, respectively, which are ideal for FANET applications to perform communication between the swarms of quad‐rotor copter (QRC) type UAVs. The antenna array design is less complex and can be used for the advanced antenna beam‐steering systems in next generation FANETs.