UAV-based Aerial Monitoring: A Performance Evaluation of a Self-Organising Flocking Algorithm

Abstract

This paper describes an algorithm aiming at coordinating of a set of multirotor UAVs to self-organise in order to create a flock performing a monitoring mission. The aim of the flock is to acquire data relevant to a certain area of the terrain and transmit them to a Base Station. Two basic aspects are taken into account: (i) to plan a proper path which minimises mission time, and (ii) to identify possible faults in one or more multirotors, taking care of performing a re-scouting of terrain regions in order to avoid loss of data. The algorithm uses same rules to ensure flocking formation and area coverage. It is validated using a software simulator to measure and report some parameters useful to understand the performances and effectiveness of the approach.