Joint Optimization of Trajectory, Propulsion and Thrust Powers for Covert UAV-on-UAV Video Tracking and Surveillance

TL;DR

This paper introduces a joint optimization framework for the trajectory, propulsion, and thrust powers of a solar-powered UAV monitor to enhance covert UAV tracking while minimizing energy use and maximizing disguise effectiveness.

Contribution

It proposes a novel convexification and solution method for a complex non-convex problem involving UAV energy and disguise optimization, applicable in real-time scenarios.

Findings

The scheme effectively reduces energy consumption compared to baseline methods.

It improves the disguise of the monitoring UAV through optimized trajectory planning.

Simulation results validate the efficiency and practicality of the proposed approach.

Abstract

Autonomous tracking of suspicious unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by legitimate monitoring UAVs (or monitors) can be crucial to public safety and security. It is non-trivial to optimize the trajectory of a monitor while conceiving its monitoring intention, due to typically non-convex propulsion and thrust power functions. This paper presents a novel framework to jointly optimize the propulsion and thrust powers, as well as the 3D trajectory of a solar-powered monitor which conducts covert, video-based, UAV-on-UAV tracking and surveillance. A multi-objective problem is formulated to minimize the energy consumption of the monitor and maximize a weighted sum of distance keeping and altitude changing, which measures the disguising of the monitor. Based on the practical power models of the UAV propulsion, thrust and hovering, and the model of the harvested solar power, the problem is non-convex and intangible for existing solvers. We convexify the propulsion power by variable substitution, and linearize the solar power. With successive convex approximation, the resultant problem is then transformed with tightened constraints and efficiently solved by the proximal difference-of-convex algorithm with extrapolation in polynomial time. The proposed scheme can be also applied online. Extensive simulations corroborate the merits of the scheme, as compared to baseline schemes with partial or no disguising.