Enhancing UAV-Based Public Safety Networks with Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

Recently, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) has emerged as a 6G enabling technology, which is capable of enhancing communication reliability, extending coverage, and improving security, while maintaining high energy and spectral efficiency. RIS comprises a number of artificially engineered meta-atoms that achieve diverse functionalities, including beam shaping, signal splitting, reflection, absorption, and polarization. These functionalities shed the light on the advantageous integration of RIS into future wireless networks. Specifically, integrating RIS into unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks can be attractive, in the sense that RIS and UAV networks are intertwined, i.e., being enabled by each other. In fact, RIS-equipped UAVs can flexibly move in the 3D space to achieve panoramic full-angle signals manipulation, while UAV users may rely on the available RISs within the environment in order to operate securely, at extended ranges, and with reduced communication and energy costs. Consequently, the integration of RIS with UAV networks is advocated as a key enabler for critical public safety services, where highly resilient, reliable, secure, and low latency communications are mandatory. In this chapter, we aim to articulate the fundamentals, design aspects, and applications of RIS as an enabling technology for future wireless networks. Furthermore, we will present an in-depth discussion about the integration of RIS into UAV networks, with emphasis on the mechanisms, advantages, and related challenges. Finally, practical public safety related use cases will be studied, providing performance insights and future research directions.