Topology‐based distributed optimization for multi‐UAV cooperative wildfire monitoring
Zhongjie Lin, Hugh H. T. Liu · Optimal Control Applications and Methods · 2018
Summary Cooperative small‐sized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can contribute to wildfire monitoring missions. By distributing UAVs into groups to cover different segments of the fire‐front contour, the mission efficiency can be improved. In this paper, according to the requirements of a wildfire mission, we formulate the multi‐UAV cooperation problem in a distributed network. A consensus‐based method is proposed to allow the group‐level cooperation among UAVs. The optimal UAV cooperation strategy is obtained through mathematical analysis. The effectiveness of the methodology is verified in an independent fire simulation environment.