Pursuing a time varying and moving source signal using a sensor equipped UAV

A methodology to locate a target using measurements of its signal strength is discussed in this paper. One of the main challenges lie in locating the source when it is moving or has time varying signal strength. In this paper two different strategies to locate and intercept a time varying and moving source by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is presented. In the first strategy the UAV traverses a complete circular path during the first phase, also called the discovery phase, and uses the measurements of the signal strength to estimate the direction of the source location. This is followed by the pursuit phase in which the UAV realigns itself towards the desired direction and then moves along it in order to intercept the source. In the second strategy the UAV moves along a semi-circular path during the discovery phase and then using the measurements of the signal strength realigns itself and moves towards the target in the pursuit phase. The performance of both these algorithms is demonstrated through simulations for different kinds of target motion and variations, including measurements affected by noise.