Simulated RF environments for UAV-mounted Bluetooth 5.0 receivers

Swarm technology provides a new opportunity for sensor systems in which the movement of the agents can be leveraged to enhance the joint capacity of the sensors and subsequent signal processing algorithms. In the Localizing Urban Swarm Technology (LocUST) project for DARPA's OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program, the authors developed a complex fading model for the virtual radio frequency (RF) environment, decentralized search and localization tasking, and movement-enhanced time difference of arrival (TDOA) localization. The system was also implemented in hardware using Bluetooth 5.0 modules. This paper reports on the fading model, localization algorithm, and hardware testing results, with the companion paper reporting on the swarm coordination, localization-enhancing movement, and associated experimentation.