Optimal routing and transmission strategies for UAV reconnaissance missions with detection threats

TL;DR

This paper addresses an NP-complete routing problem for UAV reconnaissance missions, optimizing information gathering while managing detection risks through ILP and genetic algorithms.

Contribution

It formulates a novel routing problem considering detection threats and communication options, providing ILP and heuristic solutions for small-scale instances.

Findings

Problem is NP-complete.

ILP formulation developed.

Genetic algorithm yields good solutions.

Abstract

We consider an autonomous reconnaissance mission where an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has to visit several points of interest and communicate the intel back to the base. At every point of interest, the UAV has the option to either send back all available info, or continue to the next point of interest and communicate at a later stage. Both choices have a chance of detection, meaning the mission fails. We wish to maximize the expected amount of information gathered by the mission. This is modelled by a routing problem in a weighted graph. We show that the problem is NP-complete, discuss an ILP formulation, and use a genetic algorithm to find good solutions for up to ten points of interest.