A method (100) for managing a group of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) operable to fly in a formation is disclosed, each UAV being programmed with a task to be performed by the UAV. The method is performed in a controller UAV of the group and comprises receiving UAV status information from UAVs in the group (110), obtaining information on a current formation of the group (120) and combining the received UAV status information with the information on current group formation to form a representation of a first state of the group (130). The method further comprises using a machine learning model to predict, on the basis of the first state of the group, an optimal formation transition to a new formation (140) and to instruct the UAVs in the group to perform the predicted optimal formation transition (150). An optimal formation transition is a transition to a formation that will minimise predicted total energy consumption for all UAVs in the group to complete their tasks.
Formation Flight of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
2021-12-30
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64C AEROPLANES , Flugzeuge / G05B Steuer- oder Regelsysteme allgemein , CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL / G05D SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES , Systeme zum Steuern oder Regeln nichtelektrischer veränderlicher Größen / G08G Anlagen zur Steuerung, Regelung oder Überwachung des Verkehrs , TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS |
Formation flight path coordination of unmanned aerial vehicles
European Patent Office | 2018
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