A Lightweight Microchained Architecture for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Network Reputation Systems

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

10-17-2025

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) networks are widely adopted for diverse applications in modern Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems, ranging from last-mile deliveries to infrastructure inspections. The growing reliance on UAVs makes a secure and trustworthy network environment essential. However, deploying a practical reputation framework in resource-constrained UAV networks necessitates a lightweight, high-throughput, and scalable solution. This paper introduces a Lightweight Microchained ARchitecture (LiMAR) for UAV network reputation systems. LiMAR presents a novel lightweight microchained blockchain model optimized for UAV networks, addressing key blockchain overheads such as storage bloat, high validation costs, and consensus delays. By separating operational data from on-chain transactions, LiMAR reduces computational complexity while maintaining security through reputation-driven consensus. LiMAR is designed to minimize overhead while maintaining key blockchain properties such as immutability and auditability. By incorporating a streamlined consensus mechanism and modular block structure, LiMAR significantly reduces computational and communication costs. This enables UAV nodes to efficiently store and validate reputation scores, even under dynamic flight conditions and limited resource availability. We demonstrate the effectiveness of LiMAR through extensive simulations, evaluating parameters such as latency, throughput, and energy consumption. The results show that LiMAR outperforms conventional blockchain-based solutions in UAV network environments, supporting real-time, decentralized reputation management with minimal resource overhead. This work paves the way for more secure, resilient, and scalable UAV service delivery, underscoring the potential of lightweight blockchain solutions in next-generation IoT deployments.

Publication Title

Biotc 2025 7th Blockchain and Internet of Things Conference

ISBN

[9798400719998]

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