ILLUMINE: Illumination UAVs deployment optimization based on consumer drone

Traditional ground-based illumination equipment is limited in mobility and light source height, making it difficult to adapt to diverse living scenarios such as camping that require quick and flexible illumination solutions. With the rapid development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology, particularly in illumination services, UAVs have demonstrated unique advantages. Addressing the inadequacies of conventional illumination, this study proposes a prototype of an autonomously deployed illumination system based on the RoboMaster Tello Talent (Tello) UAV, designed to provide quick and flexible on-site illumination solutions. The system’s design encompasses three complementary modules to enhance its overall functionality and efficiency. Firstly, the illumination module equips the Tello UAV with a specialized illumination extension, ensuring flight stability and effective illumination. Secondly, the addressing module employs iterative algorithms to identify optimal UAV deployment locations and precisely plan flight paths. Lastly, the flight control module, guided by the results from the addressing module, scripts flight commands, integrates with the Tello UAV’s Application Programming Interface (API), and executes flight plans optimized for path efficiency, ensuring the UAV quickly and accurately reaches designated locations, coordinating with the illumination module to deliver effective illumination. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed illumination system can swiftly respond to various user demands, autonomously deploy UAVs to optimal illumination positions, and provide high-quality service.