Abstract This paper analyzes the performance of a UAV-enabled backscatter communication system for low power IoT networks. The system consists of a power beacon that wirelessly energizes an energy constrained source node, which then transmits data to a UAV-mounted backscatter relay; the UAV reflects the signal to a destination. A realistic composite fading model is adopted: Rician fading for UAV-involved links (source-to- UAV and UAV-to-destination)... This paper analyzes the performance of a UAV-enabled backscatter communication system for low power IoT networks. The system consists of a power beacon that wirelessly energizes an energy constrained source node, which then transmits data to a UAV-mounted backscatter relay; the UAV reflects the signal to a destination. A realistic composite fading model is adopted: Rician fading for UAV-involved links (source-to- UAV and UAV-to-destination) to account for dominant line of sight (LoS) components, and Rayleigh fading for the ground based power beacon to source link due to shadowing. The main contribution is the derivation of an exact closed form expression for the system’s outage probability using the Meijer G-function, enabling efficient performance evaluation without extensive simulations. The analysis incorporates a time switching protocol where the source alternates between energy harvesting and data transmission. Numerical results validate the analytical model and reveal critical insights: outage performance improves significantly with higher Rician K-factors (indicating stronger LoS), and an optimal time switching ratio exists that minimizes outage by balancing energy harvesting and data transmission durations. Additionally, hardware parameters such as backscatter coefficient and energy conversion efficiency strongly influence system reliability. The study also highlights the trade off between target data rate and outage probability, showing that higher beacon transmit power supports higher data rates at fixed reliability levels. These findings provide practical guidance for designing efficient UAV-assisted backscatter IoT systems. Read More Read Less

Abstract This work analyses the performance of AI-generated peer reviews compared to human expert reviews across 62 manuscripts in the Real-Time Intelligent Systems track of the Springer Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems. Using four large language models ChatGPT 3.5, Perplexity AI, Qwen-3 Max, and DeepSeek the study evaluated 141 reviews using both AI and human reviews against 12 quality criteria, scored by five domain... This work analyses the performance of AI-generated peer reviews compared to human expert reviews across 62 manuscripts in the Real-Time Intelligent Systems track of the Springer Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems. Using four large language models ChatGPT 3.5, Perplexity AI, Qwen-3 Max, and DeepSeek the study evaluated 141 reviews using both AI and human reviews against 12 quality criteria, scored by five domain experts. Results show human reviews scored higher overall (mean = 3.98 vs. 3.15 for AI) with greater consistency and depth, particularly in methodological critique, literature contextualisation, and review confidence. AI reviews were more generic and less specific, struggled with scholarly subtlety, though they excelled at summarisation and formatting checks. While the difference approached statistical significance (p = 0.08), the effect size (Cohen's d = 0.56) indicated a moderate practical gap. The study concludes AI cannot replace human reviewers but may ethically augment the process in hybrid models under human oversight. Read More Read Less

Abstract This paper analyzes the performance of a UAV-enabled backscatter communication system for low power IoT networks. The system consists of a power beacon that wirelessly energizes an energy constrained source node, which then transmits data to a UAV-mounted backscatter relay; the UAV reflects the signal to a destination. A realistic composite fading model is adopted: Rician fading for UAV-involved links (source-to- UAV and UAV-to-destination)... This paper analyzes the performance of a UAV-enabled backscatter communication system for low power IoT networks. The system consists of a power beacon that wirelessly energizes an energy constrained source node, which then transmits data to a UAV-mounted backscatter relay; the UAV reflects the signal to a destination. A realistic composite fading model is adopted: Rician fading for UAV-involved links (source-to- UAV and UAV-to-destination) to account for dominant line of sight (LoS) components, and Rayleigh fading for the ground based power beacon to source link due to shadowing. The main contribution is the derivation of an exact closed form expression for the system's outage probability using the Meijer G-function, enabling efficient performance evaluation without extensive simulations. The analysis incorporates a time switching protocol where the source alternates between energy harvesting and data transmission. Numerical results validate the analytical model and reveal critical insights: outage performance improves significantly with higher Rician K-factors (indicating stronger LoS), and an optimal time switching ratio exists that minimizes outage by balancing energy harvesting and data transmission durations. Additionally, hardware parameters such as backscatter coefficient and energy conversion efficiency strongly influence system reliability. The study also highlights the trade off between target data rate and outage probability, showing that higher beacon transmit power supports higher data rates at fixed reliability levels. These findings provide practical guidance for designing efficient UAV-assisted backscatter IoT systems. Read More Read Less