Energy-efficient full-duplex UAV relaying networks: Trajectory design for channel-model-free scenarios

In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) relaying network. In this network, the channels between UAVs and ground transceivers are model-free. A UAV acting as a flying relay explores better channels to assist in efficient data delivery between two ground nodes. The full-duplex relaying mode is applied for potential energy efficiency (EE) improvements. With the genetic algorithm, we manage to optimize the UAV trajectory for any arbitrary radio map scenario. Numerical results demonstrate that compared to other schemes (eg, fixed trajectory/speed policies), the proposed algorithm performs better in terms of EE. Additionally, the impact of self-interference on average EE is also investigated.