This article proposes a novel algorithm, named quantum multiagent actor–critic networks (QMACN) for autonomously constructing a robust mobile access system employing multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In the context of facilitating collaboration among multiple UAVs, the application of multiagent reinforcement learning (MARL) techniques is regarded as a promising approach. These methods enable UAVs to learn collectively, optimizing their actions within a shared environment, ultimately leading to more efficient cooperative behavior. Furthermore, the principles of quantum computing (QC) are employed in our study to enhance the training process and inference capabilities of the UAVs involved. By leveraging the unique computational advantages of QC, our approach aims to boost the overall effectiveness of the UAV system. However, employing a QC introduces scalability challenges due to the near intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) limitation associated with qubit usage. The proposed algorithm addresses this issue by implementing a quantum centralized critic, effectively mitigating the constraints imposed by NISQ limitations. Additionally, the advantages of the QMACN with performance improvements in terms of training speed and wireless service quality are verified via various data-intensive evaluations. Furthermore, this article validates that a noise injection scheme can be used for handling environmental uncertainties in order to realize robust mobile access.
This article proposes a novel algorithm, named quantum multiagent actor–critic networks (QMACN) for autonomously constructing a robust mobile access system employing multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In the context of facilitating collaboration among multiple UAVs, the application of multiagent reinforcement learning (MARL) techniques is regarded as a promising approach. These methods enable UAVs to learn collectively, optimizing their actions within a shared environment, ultimately leading to more efficient cooperative behavior. Furthermore, the principles of quantum computing (QC) are employed in our study to enhance the training process and inference capabilities of the UAVs involved. By leveraging the unique computational advantages of QC, our approach aims to boost the overall effectiveness of the UAV system. However, employing a QC introduces scalability challenges due to the near intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) limitation associated with qubit usage. The proposed algorithm addresses this issue by implementing a quantum centralized critic, effectively mitigating the constraints imposed by NISQ limitations. Additionally, the advantages of the QMACN with performance improvements in terms of training speed and wireless service quality are verified via various data-intensive evaluations. Furthermore, this article validates that a noise injection scheme can be used for handling environmental uncertainties in order to realize robust mobile access.
For Industry 4.0 Revolution, cooperative autonomous mobility systems are widely used based on multiagent reinforcement learning (MARL). However, the MARLbased algorithms suffer from huge parameter utilization and convergence difficulties with many agents. To tackle these problems, a quantum MARL (QMARL) algorithm based on the concept of actor-critic network is proposed, which is beneficial in terms of scalability, to deal with the limitations in the noisy intermediatescale quantum (NISQ) era. Additionally, our QMARL is also beneficial in terms of efficient parameter utilization and fast convergence due to quantum supremacy. Note that the reward in our QMARL is defined as task precision over computation time in multiple agents, thus, multi-agent cooperation can be realized. For further improvement, an additional technique for scalability is proposed, which is called projection value measure (PVM). Based on PVM, our proposed QMARL can achieve the highest reward, by reducing the action dimension into a logarithmicscale. Finally, we can conclude that our proposed QMARL with PVM outperforms the other algorithms in terms of efficient parameter utilization, fast convergence, and scalability.
This paper addresses a new quantum computing-based multi-agent reinforcement learning (QMARL) algorithm which is inspired by the quantum neural network (QNN)-based centralized critic and multiple actor networks. The benefit of the proposed QMARL-based algorithm is in the action control dimension reduction where it can reduce the size into a logarithmic-scale when project value measure (PVM) is utilized. Therefore, our proposed QMARL-based algorithm is beneficial for massive-agent MARL training convergence. Moreover, the various applications of QMARL-based algorithms are presented in massive-scale unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks. Lastly, our performance evaluation results verify that the proposed QMARL-based algorithm can successfully converge when massive-action dimensions should be utilized.
In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have proven their effectiveness in surveillance due to their superior mobility. By utilizing multiple UAVs with collaborated learning, surveillance of a huge area while consuming minimum resources is possible. However, the performance of UAV collaborative learning systems is still severely limited because the number of parameters in a classical NN is generally very large, which is unsuitable for unstable wireless communication. To address this issue, this paper uses a quantum neural network (QNN), which has large computational capabilities and uses fewer parameters to overcome the problems caused by many parameters. However, it is still difficult to send all the parameters of the QNN to the server under poor channel conditions. Therefore, this paper proposes dynamic quantum federated learning (DQFL), a novel framework designed for UAVs employing quantum computing (QC) and federated learning (FL). The proposed DQFL uses a dynamic quantum neural network (DQNN) with a multi-depth circuit and employs dynamic control of the circuit layer to improve the efficiency of local parameter transmission between UAVs in unstable wireless communication environments. Extensive simulations conducted under real-world autonomous surveillance conditions demonstrate the robustness of DQFL to non-iidness, varying signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), and poor communication channel conditions in the UAV environment.
The increasing demands for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), high-capacity, connectivity, and mobility in next-generation wireless networks have driven the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as flexible and adaptive communication nodes. UAV-assisted networks offer enhanced coverage, dynamic deployment, and cost-effective infrastructure for the sixth generation (6G) and beyond. However, optimizing UAV trajectory planning, resource allocation, and interference management is particularly challenging, especially in dynamic and large-scale environments. Classical reinforcement learning (RL) techniques, while effective in adaptive optimization, suffer from computational inefficiencies and slow convergence in high-dimensional state-action spaces. To address these constraints, quantum reinforcement learning (QRL) emerges as a novel paradigm that leverages quantum computing principles, such as superposition and entanglement, to enhance decision-making efficiency. This study provides a comprehensive overview of QRL algorithms and investigates their transformative potential in UAV-assisted wireless communication networks. We analyze UAV deployment strategies, network architectures, and topologies, highlighting their advantages as well as inherent challenges. Furthermore, we examine the limitations of classical RL algorithms and assess how QRL overcomes them while improving computational efficiency and exploration capabilities. In addition, we present a detailed review of existing QRL algorithms applicable to next-generation UAV-enhanced wireless networks, identifying key challenges that must be addressed for practical deployment. Finally, we identify open research challenges and offer future directions for integrating QRL into UAV-assisted communication, paving the way for scalable, intelligent, and high-performance wireless systems.
An intelligent adaptation technique is necessary due to the complexity and unpredictability of the air space, and autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation uses quantum reinforcement learning (QRL) as an advanced control mechanism. This work suggests quantum-inspired encoding and optimization algorithms for policy learning in order to overcome the shortcomings in efficiency and scalability of conventional and deep reinforcement learning approaches. The technique employs quantum-parametric policy optimization on a hybrid quantum-classical architecture after forming UAV navigation as a Markov Decision Process and adding quantum amplitude encoding. Dynamic obstacle and random wind disturbance experiments will be carried out in a high-fidelity 3D simulation environment. QRL has decreased energy usage by up to 17% and increased the top classical RL baseline's convergence speed by 40%. Even in inclement weather, the success rate remains around 95%, and the minimum obstacle clearance never falls below 1.8 meters. Analysis shows that QRL yields safer, more robust and sample-efficient policies that are better at generalizing to unseen maps and disturbance-heavy environments. Based on the above results, the technical feasibility and engineering value of quantum-enhanced learning algorithms for robust UAV autonomous navigation have been demonstrated; thus, they can serve as a model for future intelligent aerial decision systems.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables secure communication for vehicular networks, but its range limitation calls for multi-hop relaying. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can serve as flexible QKD relays, yet their selfish behavior and dynamic mobility pose significant challenges. This paper proposes a secure routing framework for UAV-assisted vehicular QKD that jointly addresses incentive compatibility and path reliability. We model the interaction between the source vehicle and UAVs as a Stackelberg game, where the source sets the relay reward and UAVs decide their participation. A smoothed relay path formulation ensures differentiability and equilibrium tractability. To enable decentralized learning of relay strategies, we adopt a multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient (MADDPG) algorithm. Furthermore, a Bayesian optimization module is integrated to adaptively search for the optimal reward value that maximizes the source vehicle's utility. Simulation results show that the proposed Stackelberg-MADDPG-Bayesian scheme outperforms existing baselines in terms of relay request success rate and secure key generation rate, and remains robust under various UAV selfishness levels and network dynamics.