Decentralized search, tasking and tracking using multiple fixed-wing miniature UAVs

This paper is concerned with integrated target search, tasking and tracking using multiple fixed-wing UAVs. The problem is to design control logic and plan the flight paths for UAVs. The fixed-wing UAVs are required to cooperatively search the potential targets and keep monitoring the found targets according to a predefined minimal revisit time. Each UAV can only communicate with its neighbors and also flight autonomy is designed for individual UAVs. Decentralized target search, task assignment and target tracking algorithms are developed and evaluated by simulations using a real miniature fixed-wing UAV model.

[1]  Fredrik Gustafsson,et al.  Road Target Search and Tracking with Gimballed Vision Sensor on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle , 2012, Remote. Sens..

[2]  Hugh F. Durrant-Whyte,et al.  Recursive Bayesian search-and-tracking using coordinated uavs for lost targets , 2006, Proceedings 2006 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2006. ICRA 2006..

[3]  Brett Bethke,et al.  Persistent vision-based search and track using multiple UAVs , 2007 .

[4]  W. Grossman,et al.  Autonomous Searching and Tracking of a River using an UAV , 2007, 2007 American Control Conference.

[5]  Kai-Yew Lum,et al.  Multiagent Information Fusion and Cooperative Control in Target Search , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology.

[6]  Sonia Martínez,et al.  Coverage control for mobile sensing networks , 2002, IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation.

[7]  Lihua Xie,et al.  Optimality Analysis of Sensor-Source Geometries in Heterogeneous Sensor Networks , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications.

[8]  Reid G. Smith,et al.  The Contract Net Protocol: High-Level Communication and Control in a Distributed Problem Solver , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Computers.

[9]  Lihua Xie,et al.  Decentralized Control of Multi-UAVs for Target Search, Tasking and Tracking , 2014 .