Online Trajectory Generation with Rendezvous for UAVs Using Multistage Path Prediction

AbstractTo improve the overall performance of mission planning for the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a multistage path prediction (MPP) for trajectory generation with rendezvous is addressed in this paper. The proposed real-time algorithm consists of four stages: path estimation, path planning, flyable trajectory generation, and trajectory modification for rendezvous. In every planning horizon, each UAV utilizes the local A* algorithm to estimate all probable paths and then the results serve as input for the task assignment system. A simple assignment algorithm is briefly introduced to validate the effectiveness of MPP. Based on the assignment, the polygonal paths are further obtained by using the global A* algorithm. Then these paths are smoothed to be flyable by using the cubic b-spline curve. In the last stage, the trajectories are modified for rendezvous of the UAVs to execute specific many-to-one tasks. Results of different stages are continuously revised and delivered to the task assignment syste...

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