MPC-based Multi-UAV Path Planning for Convoy Protection in 3D

In this paper, we propose a multi-UAV path planning strategy for fixed wing UAVs to provide convoy protection to a ground vehicle moving over a hilly terrain. As the ground target motion is in 3D, we have developed a Model-Predictive control based framework for tracking the convoy taking the terrain restriction, kinematic constraints of the UAV and the camera field-of-view into account. Due to these constraints, it may not be possible for a single UAV to track the convoy continuously and hence we develop a cooperative multi-UAV framework with two UAVs to ensure continuous tracking. The simulation results show that the proposed framework adequately tracks the target without losing the line-of-sight of the convoy.