Designing UAV Swarm Experiments: A Simulator Selection and Experiment Design Process

Abstract

The rapid advancement and increasing number of applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) swarm systems have garnered significant attention in recent years. These systems offer a multitude of uses and demonstrate great potential in diverse fields, ranging from surveillance and reconnaissance to search and rescue operations. However, the deployment of UAV swarms in dynamic environments necessitates the development of robust experimental designs to ensure their reliability and effectiveness. This study describes the crucial requirement for comprehensive experimental design of UAV swarm systems before their deployment in real-world scenarios. To achieve this, we begin with a concise review of existing simulation platforms, assessing their suitability for various specific needs. Through this evaluation, we identify the most appropriate tools to facilitate one’s research objectives. Subsequently, we present an experimental design process tailored for validating the resilience and performance of UAV swarm systems for accomplishing the desired objectives. Furthermore, we explore strategies to simulate various scenarios and challenges that the swarm may encounter in dynamic environments, ensuring comprehensive testing and analysis. Complex multimodal experiments may require system designs that may not be completely satisfied by a single simulation platform; thus, interoperability between simulation platforms is also examined. Overall, this paper serves as a comprehensive guide for designing swarm experiments, enabling the advancement and optimization of UAV swarm systems through validation in simulated controlled environments.

Increasing Operational Resiliency of UAV Swarms: An Agent-Focused Search and Rescue Framework

“…Hardware and software tests were designed to test the proposed workflow under different conditions. Experiment range and series were selected considering the range and variability required to effectively demonstrate performance [53]. Table 3 summarizes the primary objectives of each test, the map used, and the number of experimental flights performed.…”

Програмний Засіб Підтримки Планування Розгортання Lifi Мережі На Основі Бпла Для Забезпечення Передачі Даних В Умовах Руйнувань

“…Автори [7] обговорюють ключові компоненти та функції програмного забезпечення, необхідні для безпечного та ефективного керування БПЛА. Робота [8] пропонує структуру для планування ефективних експериментів з роями БПЛА на основі симулятору. Автори підкреслюють важливість вибору симулятору за такими параметрами, як масштабованість, достовірність та зручність використання.…”

Digital Battle: A Three-Layer Distributed Simulation Architecture for Heterogeneous Robot System Collaboration

“…Past developments in distributed system technology have encompassed research on synchronization techniques based on message dialogue [12], the implementation of flexible access technologies founded on active services [13], and the provision of reliable operational support guarantees [14]. These advancements have positioned distributed simulation as a viable approach to accurately simulate and verify collaborative task algorithms in robot clusters [15][16][17], facilitating effective evaluation and testing in environments closer to real-world conditions. Through distributed simulation, it becomes possible to validate the collaborative behavior and performance of robots in complex environments while also assessing the robustness and reliability of robot systems.…”