Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Research Articles

Autonomous UAV Chasing with Monocular Vision: A Learning-Based Approach

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have shown significant potential across diverse applications, drawing attention from both academia and industry. In specific scenarios, UAVs are expected to achieve formation flying without relying on communication or external assistance. In this context, our work focuses on the classic leader-follower formation and presents a learning-based UAV chasing control method that enables a quadrotor UAV to autonomously chase a highly maneuverable fixed-wing UAV. The proposed method utilizes a neural network called Vision Follow Net (VFNet), which integrates monocular visual data with the UAV’s flight state information. Utilizing a multi-head self-attention mechanism, VFNet aggregates data over a time window to predict the waypoints for the chasing flight. The quadrotor’s yaw angle is controlled by calculating the line-of-sight (LOS) angle to the target, ensuring that the target remains within the onboard camera’s field of view during the flight. A simulation flight system is developed and used for neural network training and validation. Experimental results indicate that the quadrotor maintains stable chasing performance through various maneuvers of the fixed-wing UAV and can sustain formation over long durations. Our research explores the use of end-to-end neural networks for UAV formation flying, spanning from perception to control.

Research on Autonomous Navigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Correlation-Based Image Comparison Methods

Relevance. Autonomous navigation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is one of the key challenges in the modern aerospace industry. Specifically, for small UAVs, the task of autonomous navigation becomes even more complex due to limitations in computational resources and sensor capabilities. Optimizing navigation methods under such conditions is a pressing issue that requires solutions capable of providing high performance with minimal resource consumption.Objective. Improving the efficiency of autonomous navigation for small UAVs by using correlation methods for image comparison. Achieving this objective is linked to the development and evaluation of algorithms that provide high-speed and accurate navigation with limited computational resources. The work uses methods such as the autocorrelation function, Pearson correlation, the structural similarity index, and a simple neural network for image comparison.Solution. The research showed that the autocorrelation-based approach demonstrates the best performance under low computational resources. It ensures high-speed processing of the entire image and shows optimal detection accuracy. Compared to other methods presented in the study, the autocorrelation approach is capable of working not only with noise in the "reference" map but also of using alternative areas with altered patterns as detected regions.The scientific novelty of the study is determined by the systematic comparison of various methods applied to the task of image comparison for small UAVs with limited computational resources. Unlike well-known works in the field of correlation-extreme systems, this research focuses on the use of a "reference map" and a search area, representing two different images of the same terrain taken from different sources. This is a key difference, as most methods are not highly efficient in processing such images where patterns may differ significantly.The practical significance of the developed algorithm lies in the fact that the proposed autocorrelation-based method can be used by developers of autonomous small UAV control systems to reduce computational load and increase data processing speed.

Integrated Learning-Based Framework for Autonomous Quadrotor UAV Landing on a Collaborative Moving UGV

Integrated Learning-Based Framework for Autonomous Quadrotor UAV Landing on a Collaborative Moving UGV

AI-based autonomous UAV swarm system for weed detection and treatment: Enhancing organic orange orchard efficiency with agriculture 5.0

Weeds significantly threaten agricultural productivity by competing with crops for nutrients, particularly in organic farming, where chemical herbicides are prohibited. On Spain’s Mediterranean coast, organic citrus farms face increasing challenges from invasive species like Araujia sericifera and Cortaderia selloana, which further complicate cover crop management. This study introduces a swarm system of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with neural networks based on YOLOv10 for the detection and geo-location of these invasive weeds. The system achieves F1-scores of 0.78 for Araujia sericifera and 0.80 for Cortaderia selloana. Using GPS and RTK, the UAVs generate KML files to guide diffuser drones for precise, localized treatments with organic products. By automating the detection, treatment, and elimination of invasive species, the system enhances both productivity and sustainability in organic farming. Additionally, the proposed solution addresses the high labor costs associated with manual weeding by reducing the need for human intervention. A comprehensive economic analysis indicates potential savings ranging from 1810 to 2650 € per hectare, depending on farm size. This innovative approach not only improves weed control efficiency but also promotes environmental sustainability, offering a scalable solution for organic and conventional agriculture alike.

Joint Design of Transmit Waveform and Altitude for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Enabled Integrated Sensing and Wireless Power Transfer Systems

Recently, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-enabled wireless power transfer (WPT) has received great attention as a promising technology for providing stable power to energy-constrained devices by navigating three-dimensional (3D) space, particularly in challenging environments such as maritime networks and smart cities. Additionally, UAV-enabled radar sensing has gained significant attention as a key technology for future 6G networks, as it enables high-accuracy sensing for various applications, such as target detection and tracking, surveillance, and environmental monitoring, as well as autonomous UAV operation. In this regard, we investigated UAV-enabled integrated sensing and wireless power transfer (ISWPT) systems that combine radar sensing and WPT operations on a unified hardware platform, sharing the same spectrum of resources. In order to accurately sense multiple targets and efficiently transfer power to multiple devices at the same time, we propose a method for jointly designing the transmit waveform and UAV altitude, taking into account the fundamental trade-off between radar sensing performance with the desired beam pattern and WPT performance with the desired harvested power of the devices. We first developed an effective method to obtain the optimal waveform and altitude by solving a challenging non-convex optimization problem. Based on this, we developed another efficient, low-complexity method by exploring a novel transmit waveform and optimizing its parameters to reduce computational complexity and thereby lower power consumption in UAVs. The numerical results verify that the proposed method significantly improves both radar sensing and WPT performance, as well as substantially reduces computational complexity.

Retraction Note: An agent architecture for autonomous UAV flight control in object classification and recognition missions

Retraction Note: An agent architecture for autonomous UAV flight control in object classification and recognition missions

Multi-UAV Escape Target Search: A Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Method.

The multi-UAV target search problem is crucial in the field of autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) decision-making. The algorithm design of Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) methods has become integral to research on multi-UAV target search owing to its adaptability to the rapid online decision-making required by UAVs in complex, uncertain environments. In non-cooperative target search scenarios, targets may have the ability to escape. Target probability maps are used in many studies to characterize the likelihood of a target's existence, guiding the UAV to efficiently explore the task area and locate the target more quickly. However, the escape behavior of the target causes the target probability map to deviate from the actual target's position, thereby reducing its effectiveness in measuring the target's probability of existence and diminishing the efficiency of the UAV search. This paper investigates the multi-UAV target search problem in scenarios involving static obstacles and dynamic escape targets, modeling the problem within the framework of decentralized partially observable Markov decision process. Based on this model, a spatio-temporal efficient exploration network and a global convolutional local ascent mechanism are proposed. Subsequently, we introduce a multi-UAV Escape Target Search algorithm based on MAPPO (ETS-MAPPO) for addressing the escape target search difficulty problem. Simulation results demonstrate that the ETS-MAPPO algorithm outperforms five classic MARL algorithms in terms of the number of target searches, area coverage rate, and other metrics.

Optimal path planning for unmanned aerial vehicles in power line inspection in rechargeable scenario

To address the issue that a single charge of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) do not satisfy task requirements, this paper proposes a solution involving the deployment of charging stations in the mission area. An energy-efficient path planning method is designed for UAVs with charging stations, which simultaneously determines the deployment locations and quantities of charging stations. The method formulates the energy optimization path planning problem of UAVs as an integer linear programming and an algorithm based on greedy strategy is designed for solving the model. A numerical example including simulations across various scenarios demonstrate that the proposed method can search a more energy-efficient paths compared to single-agent multi-sortie schemes with a greedy strategy. This research contributes to the development of intelligent and autonomous UAV systems for power line inspection, enhancing grid reliability and safety.

LUOJIA Explorer: An Auto-UAV for Unexposed Space Exploration

Abstract. With the advancement of technology, unexposed spaces have emerged as a new type of strategic area, attracting significant attention from researchers. These spaces often present complex environments, such as extreme lighting variations, irregular geometries, and the lack of external positioning signals, making human entry hazardous. Fortunately, advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence have enabled unmanned systems to mitigate these challenges, allowing for safer exploration of unexposed spaces. UAVs, as vital unmanned system platforms, are extensively used across various industrial scenarios and are particularly effective for detecting unexposed spaces. To facilitate automated exploration of these areas, we propose the autonomous UAV system, LUOJIA Explorer. Equipped with a LiDAR sensor, data transmission module, and external anti-collision devices to protect the aircraft, LUOJIA Explorer is designed for effective unexposed space detection. We have integrated a laser point cloud positioning and mapping subsystem, along with a planning and control subsystem, into the LUOJIA Explorer. Through both simulation and actual experiments, the Luojia Explorer has demonstrated the capability to achieve stable flight based on self-positioning in unexposed spaces, with an exploration efficiency of 88.83 m3/s.

Simulation and real-life implementation of UAV autonomous landing system based on object recognition and tracking for safe landing in uncertain environments.

The use of autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has been increasing, and the autonomy of these systems and their capabilities in dealing with uncertainties is crucial. Autonomous landing is pivotal for the success of an autonomous mission of UAVs. This paper presents an autonomous landing system for quadrotor UAVs with the ability to perform smooth landing even in undesirable conditions like obstruction by obstacles in and around the designated landing area and inability to identify or the absence of a visual marker establishing the designated landing area. We have integrated algorithms like version 5 of You Only Look Once (YOLOv5), DeepSORT, Euclidean distance transform, and Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller to strengthen the robustness of the overall system. While the YOLOv5 model is trained to identify the visual marker of the landing area and some common obstacles like people, cars, and trees, the DeepSORT algorithm keeps track of the identified objects. Similarly, using the detection of the identified objects and Euclidean distance transform, an open space without any obstacles to land could be identified if necessary. Finally, the PID controller generates appropriate movement values for the UAV using the visual cues of the target landing area and the obstacles. To warrant the validity of the overall system without risking the safety of the involved people, initial tests are performed, and a software-based simulation is performed before executing the tests in real life. A full-blown hardware system with an autonomous landing system is then built and tested in real life. The designed system is tested in various scenarios to verify the effectiveness of the system. The code is available at this repository: https://github.com/rnjbdya/Vision-based-UAV-autonomous-landing.

The UAV Autonomous Control System from the Perspective of System Engineering

In order to improve the performance and reliability of UAV autonomous control system, this paper deeply discusses the design method and optimization strategy of UAV autonomous control system from the perspective of system engineering. Article puts forward on the basis of demand analysis, through the system architecture design and integration of functional goals, and on the basis of performance, reliability, security and scalability of comprehensive optimization, aims to build an efficient, stable, safe and good scalability UAV autonomous control system, lay the foundation for the further development of drone technology and application.

Технологии и методы планирования перемещения БПЛА по маршрутным точкам

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) occupy a special place in our world. Their ability to navigate along set routes opens up prospects in various fields. The purpose of the study is to review and analyze navigation systems and UAV routing algorithms, methods that allow UAVs to follow the route with high accuracy. GPS and inertial navigation (INS) systems that provide accurate location determination are being investigated. The capabilities of sensor systems — cameras, lidars and ultrasonic sensors — are analyzed to detect obstacles and adjust the trajectory; voxel maps for three-dimensional modeling of the environment and methods of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM); algorithm A* (A-star); genetic routing algorithm, potential-based obstacle avoidance algorithms and RRT. Practical significance: the use of these methods and technologies can significantly improve the safety and accuracy of UAV routing, the ability to navigate autonomously in complex and dynamically changing landscapes. In conclusion, the advantages and limitations of navigation approaches and technologies are discussed; the importance of integrating sensor systems and SLAM methods to increase the autonomy and efficiency of UAVs; directions for further research.

Autonomous Multirotor UAV Search and Landing on Safe Spots Based on Combined Semantic and Depth Information From an Onboard Camera and LiDAR

Autonomous Multirotor UAV Search and Landing on Safe Spots Based on Combined Semantic and Depth Information From an Onboard Camera and LiDAR

Comparative Review of Navigation Systems for Indoor Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Comparative Review of Navigation Systems for Indoor Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

UAV Autonomous Navigation Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning in Highly Dynamic and High-Density Environments

Autonomous navigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has made great progress. However, most studies assume relatively simple task scenarios and do not consider the impact of complex task scenarios on UAV flight performance. This paper proposes a DRL-based autonomous navigation algorithm for UAVs, which enables autonomous path planning for UAVs in high-density and highly dynamic environments. This algorithm proposes a state space representation method that contains position information and angle information by analyzing the impact of UAV position changes and angle changes on navigation performance in complex environments. In addition, a dynamic reward function is constructed based on a non-sparse reward function to balance the agent’s conservative behavior and exploratory behavior during the model training process. The results of multiple comparative experiments show that the proposed algorithm not only has the best autonomous navigation performance but also has the optimal flight efficiency in complex environments.

Optimizing Autonomous UAV Navigation with D* Algorithm for Sustainable Development

Autonomous navigation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has emerged as a critical enabler in various industries, from agriculture, delivery services, and surveillance to search and rescue operations. However, navigating UAVs in dynamic and unknown environments remains a formidable challenge. This paper explores the application of the D* algorithm, a prominent path-planning method rooted in artificial intelligence and widely used in robotics, alongside comparisons with other algorithms, such as A* and RRT*, to augment autonomous navigation capabilities in UAVs’ implication for sustainability development. The core problem addressed herein revolves around enhancing UAV navigation efficiency, safety, and adaptability in dynamic environments. The research methodology involves the integration of the D* algorithm into the UAV navigation system, enabling real-time adjustments and path planning that account for dynamic obstacles and evolving terrain conditions. The experimentation phase unfolds in simulated environments designed to mimic real-world scenarios and challenges. Comprehensive data collection, rigorous analysis, and performance evaluations paint a vivid picture of the D* algorithm’s efficacy in comparison to other navigation methods, such as A* and RRT*. Key findings indicate that the D* algorithm offers a compelling solution, providing UAVs with efficient, safe, and adaptable navigation capabilities. The results demonstrate a path planning efficiency improvement of 92%, a 5% reduction in collision rates, and an increase in safety margins by 2.3 m. This article addresses certain challenges and contributes by demonstrating the practical effectiveness of the D* algorithm, alongside comparisons with A* and RRT*, in enhancing autonomous UAV navigation and advancing aerial systems. Specifically, this study provides insights into the strengths and limitations of each algorithm, offering valuable guidance for researchers and practitioners in selecting the most suitable path-planning approach for their UAV applications. The implications of this research extend far and wide, with potential applications in industries such as agriculture, surveillance, disaster response, and more for sustainability.

An Adaptive Missing Data Restoration Method for UAV Confrontation Based on Deep Regression Model

Completing missions with autonomous decision-making unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is a development direction for future battlefields. UAV make decisions based on battlefield situation information collected by sensors and can quickly and accurately perform complex tasks such as path planning, cooperative reconnaissance, cooperative pursuit and attacks. Obtaining real-time situation information of enemy is the basis for realizing autonomous decision-making of the UAV. However, in practice, due to internal sensor failure or interference of enemy, the acquired situation information is prone to be missing, which affects the training and decision-making of autonomous UAV. In this paper, an adaptive missing situation data restoration method for UAV confrontation is proposed. The UAV confrontation situation data are acquired through JSBSim, an open-source UAV simulation platform. By fusing temporal convolutional network and long short-term memory sequences, we establish a deep regression method for missing data restoration and introduce an adaptive mechanism to reduce the training time of the restoration model in response to dynamic changes in the enemy’s strategy during UAV confrontation. In addition, we evaluate the reliability of the proposed method by comparing with different baseline models under different degrees of data missing conditions. The performance of our method is quantified by five metrics. The performance of our proposed method is better than the other benchmark algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed method can solve the missing data restoration problem and provide reliable situation data while effectively reducing the training time of the restoration model.

Anytime algorithm based on adaptive variable-step-size mechanism for path planning of UAVs

For autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) flying in real-world scenarios, time for path planning is always limited, which is a challenge known as the anytime problem. Anytime planners address this by finding a collision-free path quickly and then improving it until time runs out, making UAVs more adaptable to different mission scenarios. However, current anytime algorithms based on A* have insufficient control over the suboptimality bounds of paths and tend to lose their anytime properties in environments with large concave obstacles. This paper proposes a novel anytime path planning algorithm, Anytime Radiation A* (ARaA*), which can generate a series of suboptimal paths with improved bounds through decreasing search step sizes and can generate the optimal path when time is sufficient. The ARaA* features two main innovations: an adaptive variable-step-size mechanism and elliptic constraints based on waypoints. The former helps achieve fast path searching in various environments. The latter allows ARaA* to control the suboptimality bounds of paths and further enhance search efficiency. Simulation experiments show that the ARaA* outperforms Anytime Repairing A* (ARA*) and Anytime D* (AD*) in controlling suboptimality bounds and planning time, especially in environments with large concave obstacles. Final flight experiments demonstrate that the paths planned by ARaA* can ensure the safe flight of quadrotors.

Autonomous UAV navigation using deep learning-based computer vision frameworks: A systematic literature review

The increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in both military and civilian applications, such as infrastructure inspection, package delivery, and recreational activities, underscores the importance of enhancing their autonomous functionalities. Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning-based computer vision (DL-based CV), plays a crucial role in this enhancement. This paper aims to provide a systematic literature review (SLR) of Scopus-indexed research studies published from 2019 to 2024, focusing on DL-based CV approaches for autonomous UAV applications. By analyzing 173 studies, we categorize the research into four domains: sensing and inspection, landing, surveillance and tracking, and search and rescue. Our review reveals a significant increase in research utilizing computer vision for UAV applications, with over 39.5 % of studies employing the You Only Look Once (YOLO) framework. We discuss the key findings, including the dominant trends, challenges, and opportunities in the field, and highlight emerging technologies such as in-sensor computing. This review provides valuable insights into the current state and future directions of DL-based CV for autonomous UAVs, emphasizing its growing significance as legislative frameworks evolve to support these technologies.

Research on Motion Control and Compensation of UAV Shipborne Autonomous Landing Platform

As an important interface between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ships, the stability and motion control compensation technology of the shipborne UAV landing platform are paramount for successful UAV landings. This paper has designed a new control compensation method for an autonomous UAV landing platform to address the impact of complex sea conditions on the stability of UAV landing platforms. Firstly, the parallel Stewart platform was introduced as the landing platform, and its structure was analyzed with forward and inverse kinematic calculations conducted in Matlab to verify its accuracy. Secondly, a least-squares recursive AR prediction algorithm was designed to predict the future attitudes of ships under varying sea conditions. Finally, the prediction algorithm was combined with the platform’s control strategy and a dual-sensor system was adopted to ensure the stability of the UAV landing process. The experimental results demonstrate that these innovative improvements enhanced the compensation accuracy by 59.6%, 60.3%, 48.4%, and 47.9% for the rolling angles of 5° and 10° and the pitching angles of 5° and 10°, respectively. Additionally, the compensation accuracy for the roll and pitch in sea states 2 and 5 improved by 51.2%, 59.4%, 58.7%, and 55.9%, respectively, providing technical support for UAV missions such as maritime rescue and exploration.