UAV Fleet Based Accident Monitoring Systems with Automatic Battery Replacement Systems: Algorithms for Justifying Composition and Use Planning

Abstract

The existing approaches suggest that justifying robotic monitoring systems composition and use planning are carried out through a set of predefined missions. The paper proposes the algorithm of justifying composition and utilization of monitoring systems for critical infrastructure objects based on the theory of transport systems considering possible types of the monitoring missions. The considered monitoring system comprises a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV fleet) and automatic battery replacement systems. The algorithm provides a procedure for defining the monitoring system composition and using the UAV fleet and the automatic battery replacement systems taking into account the requirements for the number of ground objects from which data needs collecting, range, transmission frequency, volume of the transmitted data, and operation time. Methods of research are the following: graph theory, theory of transportation system (methods for solving the traveling salesman problem and multiple traveling salesman problem); mathematical optimization models (evolutionary algorithms), job shop scheduling. The algorithm allows finding an optimal or near optimal compromise solving for composition and utilization of monitoring system for different cases; reducing the time of justifying the monitoring system composition and takes into account the various requirements such as transmission frequency, volume of the transmitted data, and continuous operation time; planning using UAV and automated battery replacement aerial stations (ABRAS) as the parts of transportation system.