Robust Optimization Models for Planning Drone Swarm Missions

This article presents methods of planning unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) missions in which individual platforms work together during the reconnaissance of objects located within a terrain. The planning problem concerns determining the flight routes of a swarm, where each UAV has the ability to recogn...

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Main Authors: Robert Panowicz, Wojciech Stecz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Drones
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/8/10/572
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author Robert Panowicz
Wojciech Stecz
author_facet Robert Panowicz
Wojciech Stecz
author_sort Robert Panowicz
collection DOAJ
description This article presents methods of planning unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) missions in which individual platforms work together during the reconnaissance of objects located within a terrain. The planning problem concerns determining the flight routes of a swarm, where each UAV has the ability to recognize an object using a specific type of sensor. The experiments described in this article were carried out for drone formation; one drone works as a swarm information hub and exchanges information with the ground control station (GCS). Numerical models for mission planning are presented, which take into account the important constraints, simplifying the description of the mission without too much risk of losing the platforms. Several types of objective functions were used to optimize swarm flight paths. The mission models are presented in the form of mixed integer linear programming problems (MILPs). The experiments were carried out on a terrain model built on the basis of graph and network theory. The method of building a network on which the route plan of a drone swarm is determined is precisely presented. Particular attention was paid to the description of ways to minimize the size of the network on which the swarm mission is planned. The presented methods for building a terrain model allow for solving the optimization problem using integer programming tasks.
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spelling doaj-art-519d8ce5fa704e92956498bd61539ebe2025-08-20T02:11:12ZengMDPI AGDrones2504-446X2024-10-0181057210.3390/drones8100572Robust Optimization Models for Planning Drone Swarm MissionsRobert Panowicz0Wojciech Stecz1Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warsaw, PolandInstitute of Computer Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, 01-938 Warsaw, PolandThis article presents methods of planning unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) missions in which individual platforms work together during the reconnaissance of objects located within a terrain. The planning problem concerns determining the flight routes of a swarm, where each UAV has the ability to recognize an object using a specific type of sensor. The experiments described in this article were carried out for drone formation; one drone works as a swarm information hub and exchanges information with the ground control station (GCS). Numerical models for mission planning are presented, which take into account the important constraints, simplifying the description of the mission without too much risk of losing the platforms. Several types of objective functions were used to optimize swarm flight paths. The mission models are presented in the form of mixed integer linear programming problems (MILPs). The experiments were carried out on a terrain model built on the basis of graph and network theory. The method of building a network on which the route plan of a drone swarm is determined is precisely presented. Particular attention was paid to the description of ways to minimize the size of the network on which the swarm mission is planned. The presented methods for building a terrain model allow for solving the optimization problem using integer programming tasks.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/8/10/572swarmunmanned air vehicleUAVmission planningvehicle routing problemVRP
spellingShingle Robert Panowicz
Wojciech Stecz
Robust Optimization Models for Planning Drone Swarm Missions
Drones
swarm
unmanned air vehicle
UAV
mission planning
vehicle routing problem
VRP
title Robust Optimization Models for Planning Drone Swarm Missions
title_full Robust Optimization Models for Planning Drone Swarm Missions
title_fullStr Robust Optimization Models for Planning Drone Swarm Missions
title_full_unstemmed Robust Optimization Models for Planning Drone Swarm Missions
title_short Robust Optimization Models for Planning Drone Swarm Missions
title_sort robust optimization models for planning drone swarm missions
topic swarm
unmanned air vehicle
UAV
mission planning
vehicle routing problem
VRP
url https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/8/10/572
work_keys_str_mv AT robertpanowicz robustoptimizationmodelsforplanningdroneswarmmissions
AT wojciechstecz robustoptimizationmodelsforplanningdroneswarmmissions