Joint Optimization of Delay and Power Efficiency of Neighbor Discovery in UAV Networks

Efficient and reliable neighbor discovery is critical for UAV networks equipped with directional antennas, particularly in dynamic and energy-constrained environments. We present a novel optimization framework that jointly minimizes delay and power consumption using the power-delay product as the optimization metric. The framework is formulated for both synchronous and asynchronous schemes, leveraging upper-bound metrics and a convex-concave procedure to achieve tractable convex formulations. Simulation results validate the theoretical models and show significant improvements over baseline methods. We also conducted real-world experiments, where our method reduced power-delay product by 11% compared to the baseline, though the dual-sector hardware configuration limited the achievable gains. This work provides a comprehensive solution for UAV neighbor discovery, with high potential for scalability in more complex and dynamic environments.