Indoor UAV 3D Localization Using 5G CSI Fingerprinting

Fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks have been widely deployed across various applications, including indoor positioning. This paper presents a model for 3D indoor localization of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using 5G millimeter-wave technology. Wireless InSite software is used to simulate a real-world environment and extract channel state information from multiple 5G next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), which is then used to generate channel frequency response (CFR) images. These images are employed in a fingerprinting method, where a deep convolutional neural network is trained for accurate position prediction. The model is trained across multiple scenarios involving changes in the number of gNBs, receiver positions, and spacing. In all scenarios, the model is tested using a UAV flying along a trajectory at variable speed. It is shown that a mean positioning error (MPE) of 0.36 m in 2D and 0.43 m in 3D is achieved when twelve gNBs with receivers spaced at 0.25 m are used. In addition, the corresponding root mean square error (RMSE) values of 0.32 m (2D) and 0.33 m (3D) further confirm the stability of the localization performance by indicating a low dispersion of positioning errors. This demonstrates that high positioning accuracy is feasible, even when synchronization errors and hardware imperfections exist.