Multiple UAV cooperative path planning via neuro-dynamic programming

Abstract

In this paper, a team of n unmanned air-vehicles (UAVs) in cooperative path planning is given the task of reaching the assigned target while i) avoiding threat zones ii) synchronizing minimum time arrivals on the target, and iii) ensuring arrivals coming from different directions. We highlight three main contributions. First we develop a novel hybrid model and suit it to the problem at hand. Second, we design consensus protocols for the management of information. Third, we synthesize local predictive controllers through a distributed, scalable and suboptimal neuro-dynamic programming (NDP) algorithm.