Mission Planning and Execution in Heterogeneous Teams of Aerial Robots supporting Power Line Inspection Operations

TL;DR

This paper presents a hierarchical software architecture for coordinating heterogeneous aerial robots in power line inspection, incorporating task planning, resource management, and reactive execution using Behavior Trees, validated through Gazebo simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel hierarchical framework with resource-aware task distribution and Behavior Tree-based mission execution for heterogeneous drone teams.

Findings

Effective task distribution considering vehicle capabilities and battery constraints.

Robust mission execution with replanning triggered by faults or communication issues.

Successful validation through realistic Gazebo simulations.

Abstract

A software architecture aimed at coordinating a team of heterogeneous aerial vehicles for inspection and maintenance operations in high-voltage power line scenarios is presented in this paper. A hierarchical approach deals with high-level tasks by planning and executing complex missions requiring vehicles to support human operators. A resource-constrained problem allows distributing tasks among the team taking into account vehicles' capabilities and battery constraints. Besides, Behavior Trees (BTs) are in charge of mission execution, triggering replanning operations in case of unforeseen events, such as vehicle faults or communication drop-outs. The feasibility and validity of the approach are showcased through realistic simulations achieved in Gazebo.