Hybrid PSO-HSA and PSO-GA algorithm for 3D path planning in autonomous UAVs

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a quintessential example of automation in the field of avionics. UAVs provide a platform for performing a wide variety of tasks, but in each case the concept of path planning plays an integral role. It helps to generate a pathway free of obstacles, having minimum length leading to lesser fuel consumption, lesser traversal time and helps in steering the aircraft and its corresponding antenna power signature safely around the hostile antenna to avoid detection. To optimize path planning to incorporate all the above-mentioned constraints, this paper presents two new hybrid algorithms particle swarm optimization (PSO) with harmony search algorithm and PSO with genetic algorithm. The hybrid algorithms perform both an exploratory and exploitative search, unlike the existing algorithms which are biased, towards either an exploitative search or an exploratory search. Furthermore, the hybrid algorithms are compared to the existing optimization algorithms and in all cases the hybrid algorithms give a minimum of 7% better result against PSO with up to a 40% better result against Invasive Weed optimization algorithm for a fixed computational time, suggesting better real-time applications.