3D path planning for UAV swarm missions

In this paper, a strategy for the mission planning of a UAV swarm in 3-D environments is presented. The operating space is represented as a 3-D grid and the A* algorithm is used; paths are planned for each UAV towards any possible target and the optimal combination, in terms of reducing the path length for the whole swarm, is considered. Further features and algorithm enhancements have been developed for reducing computational time, improving planned trajectories, and for the automatic redistribution of targets. The intended application is the deployment of UAVs for landslide monitoring and search of people involved in catastrophic events.