The work presents a joint design framework that combines an energy-efficient MIMO receiver architecture with an optimized power allocation strategy for spatial NOMA in miniature UAV-assisted IoT networks. Specifically, we design a low-power receiver using spatial modulation and intelligent transmit antenna selection to minimize energy usage. Simultaneously, a dynamic power allocation scheme is developed to ensure fairness by allowing all users to act as active data users in different time slots. The air-to-ground channel is modeled by considering UAV altitude, mobility, and probabilistic line-of-sight characteristics. Simulation results demonstrate that at a UAV altitude of 50 meters, the pr... More >