Multi-dynamic target coverage tracking control strategy based on multi-UAV collaboration

In response to the issues of mutual interference among multiple targets, dynamic changes in coverage area, and the difficulty in accurately estimating the optimal coverage positions during the coverage and tracking control process, this article proposes a multi-dynamic target coverage tracking control strategy based on Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Multi-UAV) cooperation. To address the problem of estimating the number and location of optimal coverage points for multi-dynamic targets, we propose a dynamic estimation strategy of optimal coverage points for multi-dynamic targets; for the under-coverage problem, we propose an optimal coverage point estimation method for under-coverage conditions in order to improve the cost-effectiveness of coverage. Subsequently, a multi-UAV scheduling strategy based on the coverage cleanup cost is proposed, which assigns appropriate UAVs to perform coverage cleanup tasks for different coverage points. Addressing the performance constraints, path smoothness, collision avoidance, and path tracking problems of UAVs, we introduce B-spline-based multi-UAV path planning and line-of-sight-based guidance methods to achieve multi-UAV coverage tracking control for multi-dynamic targets. Finally, the proposed method is applied to an ocean oil spill coverage cleanup task. Both simulation and emulation results validate the theoretical findings and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for such applications.