Optimized Landing of Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Swarms
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Authors
Dono, Thomas F.
Subjects
Advisors
Chung, Timothy
Date of Issue
2012-06
Date
12-Jun
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
This research explores a future concept requiring the efficient and safe, landing and recovery of a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The presented work involves the use of an overarching (centralized) airspace optimization model, formulated analytically as a network-based model with side constraints describing a time-expanded network model of the terminal airspace in which the UAVs navigate to one or more (possibly moving) landing zones. This model generates optimal paths in a centralized manner such that the UAVs are properly sequenced into the landing areas. The network-based model is grown using agent based simulation with simple flocking rules. The resulting solution is compared to another agent-based model which uses similar avoidance rules for the landing of these UAVs, exploring the benefit of distributed computation and decision-making characteristic of swarming models. Relevant measures of performance include, e.g., the total time necessary to land the swarm. Extensive simulation studies and sensitivity analyses are conducted to demonstrate the relative effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
NPS Outstanding Theses and Dissertations
Department
Operations Analysis
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.