Coverage path planning algorithm for multi-area by truck-supported multi-UAV

To study the application of UAVs (nmanned aerial vehicles) in area reconnaissance, a cooperation mode of truck-supported multi-UAV coverage reconnaissance and a collaborative path planning algorithm were proposed. With the goal of minimizing the task completion time, a mixed integer programming model was established considering the road constraints on the vehicle path and the energy constraints of the UAVs. A heuristic algorithm based on the idea of iterative relaxation was designed. In the test scene of 60 km², 16 target areas were randomly set. The proposed algorithm realizes the coverage path planning of the truck and the UAVs, and the total reconnaissance task time is 1.593 h, which verifies the feasibility of the vehicle supporting the multi-UAV mode and the effectiveness of the algorithm.