Search Strategies for Multiple UAV Search and Destroy Missions

• Published in: Journal of intelligent & robotic systems 2011, Vol.61 (1-4), p.355-367
• Main Authors: George, Joel, P. B., Sujit, Sousa, J. B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Allocations; Artificial Intelligence; Associations; Control; Electrical Engineering; Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Mechatronics; Missions; Robotics; Searching; Simulation; Strategy; Tasks; Unmanned aerial vehicles
• ISSN: 0921-0296; 1573-0409
• DOI: 10.1007/s10846-010-9486-8

Multiple UAVs are deployed to carry out a search and destroy mission in a bounded region. The UAVs have limited sensor range and can carry limited resources which reduce with use. The UAVs perform a search task to detect targets. When a target is detected which requires different type and quantities of resources to completely destroy, then a team of UAVs called as a coalition is formed to attack the target. The coalition members have to modify their route to attack the target, in the process, the search task is affected, as search and destroy tasks are coupled. The performance of the mission is a function of the search and the task allocation strategies. Therefore, for a given task allocation strategy, we need to devise search strategies that are efficient. In this paper, we propose three different search strategies namely; random search strategy, lanes based search strategy and grid based search strategy and analyze their performance through Monte-Carlo simulations. The results show that the grid based search strategy performs the best but with high information overhead.