Challenges and Open Issues in Designing MAC Protocols for UAV Networks : A Review

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) possess significant potential in the public and civil sectors, particularly in scenarios where human safety is jeopardized. The utilization of multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) systems is a more economically viable and operationally efficient approach compared to using a single UAV system. However, before providing secure and efficient networks by UAVs, it is imperative to tackle various challenges. UAV networks exhibit dynamic characteristics, encompassing a range of speeds and intermittent links while featuring a topology subject to change. The Media Access Control (MAC) encounters supplementary difficulties in the context of a multi-UAV system, owing to the dynamic mobility trait of UAVs. Consequently, UAV network protocols must exhibit adaptability to optimize channel resource utilization and guarantee effective communication among multiple UAVs. The present study investigates the challenges involved in designing MAC protocols, presents a comprehensive survey of the existing MAC protocols, and outlines their respective merits and demerits. Ultimately, the paper outlines prospective possibilities for research in MAC protocol design