Loiter UAV Reinsertion Guidance for Fixed-wing UAV Corridors

TL;DR

This paper develops a guidance algorithm for conflict-free reinsertion of fixed-wing UAVs from a loiter lane into a main corridor, ensuring safety and efficiency in UAV traffic management.

Contribution

It introduces a novel guidance strategy for UAV reinsertion in corridors with virtual slots, validated through numerical simulations.

Findings

The guidance algorithm ensures conflict-free reinsertion.

Simulation results demonstrate safety and efficiency.

The method adapts to traffic conditions and safety constraints.

Abstract

This paper considers fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) corridors comprising a main lane, a circular loiter lane for managing traffic congestion, and transit lanes connecting the two. In particular, we address the problem of conflict-free reinsertion of UAVs from the loiter lane back into the main lane. The loiter lane contains a fixed number of equidistant virtual slots that UAVs can occupy. Reinsertion of loiter UAVs into the main lane becomes essential either due to reduced traffic in the main lane or due to a loiter UAV needing to reach its destination urgently. Given the total number of loiter slots, UAV speed limits, and the minimum safety distance, a guidance algorithm is developed to compute the required speed of a loiter UAV in the transit lane to ensure safe reinsertion. The proposed guidance and automation strategies are validated through numerical simulations.