A Pesticide Spraying Mission Allocation and Path Planning With Multicopters

Jing Huang, Baihui Du, Youmin Zhang, Quan Quan, Ban Wang, Lingxia Mu

2024IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems22 citationsDOI

Abstract

This paper presents a mission allocation and path planning solution for the pesticide spraying mission of dense trees in hilly terrains using cooperative multicopters. The problem is formulated as a single-depot single-end multiple traveling salesman problem (mTSP). Three different algorithms, namely classical mTSP algorithm, Grouping-TSP combined algorithm, and Grouping-TSP decoupled algorithm, are developed to solve the proposed mTSP. Simulation results indicate that the classical mTSP algorithm provides an evenly distributed task allocation, while the Grouping-TSP combined algorithm delivers the optimal solution. Additionally, the Grouping-TSP decoupled algorithm minimizes computational complexity. Both Grouping-TSP algorithms integrate a sub-regions segmentation process to guarantee collision avoidance between the multicopters.

Topics & Concepts

Motion planningTravelling salesman problemTerrainMathematical optimizationComputer sciencePath (computing)AlgorithmProcess (computing)Collision avoidanceArtificial intelligenceMathematicsCollisionRobotEcologyOperating systemBiologyComputer securityProgramming languagePlant Surface Properties and TreatmentsRobotic Path Planning AlgorithmsInsect Pheromone Research and Control