Enhanced User Clustering and Pairing Scheme for NOMA-Aided UAV Networks

The increasing demand for spectral efficiency and system capacity in communication networks has driven the integration of Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) technology with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) networks. In this paper, we propose an enhanced user clustering and pairing scheme for NOMA-aided UAV networks. Our study aims to maximize the minimum user throughput by proposing an Advanced Balanced K-Means (ABKM) algorithm, based on the traditional K-Means (KM) and Balanced K-Means (BKM) algorithms. The ABKM algorithm addresses the issue in the BKM algorithm where some users are assigned to sub-optimal clusters, resulting in increased distances to the cluster centroids, while simultaneously ensuring balanced clustering. Through extensive numerical simulations, we demonstrate that the ABKM algorithm significantly outperforms KM and BKM algorithms in terms of the minimum user throughput. The results highlight the potential of the proposed ABKM algorithm to enhance system performance and ensure fair resource allocation in NOMA-aided UAV networks, making it a promising solution for future 6G wireless communication systems.