Hierarchical Task Assignment Strategy for Heterogeneous Multi-UAV System in Large-Scale Search and Rescue Scenarios

Abstract

For the large-scale search and rescue (S&R) scenarios, the centralized and distributed multi-UAV multitask assignment algorithms for multi-UAV systems have the problems of heavy computational load and massive communication burden, which make it hard to guarantee the effectiveness and convergence speed of their task assignment results. To address this issue, this paper proposes a hierarchical task assignment strategy. Firstly, a model decoupling algorithm based on density clustering and negotiation mechanism is raised to decompose the large-scale task assignment problem into several nonintersection and complete small-scale task assignment problems, which effectively reduces the required computational amount and communication cost. Then, a cluster head selection method based on multiattribute decision is put forward to select the cluster head for each UAV team. These cluster heads will communicate with the central control station about the latest assignment information to guarantee the completion of S&R mission. At last, considering that a few targets cannot be effectively allocated due to UAVs’ limited and unbalanced resources, an auction-based task sharing scheme among UAV teams is presented to guarantee the mission coverage of the multi-UAV system. Simulation results and analyses comprehensively verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed hierarchical task assignment strategy in large-scale S&R scenarios with dispersed clustering targets.

UAV-Cooperative Penetration Dynamic-Tracking Interceptor Method Based on DDPG

“…The DDPG algorithm is a branch of reinforcement learning [5]. The basic process of reinforcement-learning training is that the agent performs an action based on the current observation state.…”

“…Therefore, UAVs have been widely studied and applied [3]. With the continuous application of UAVs in the military field, the system composed of a single UAV has gradually revealed the problems of poor flexibility and low stability [4,5]. The cooperative combat method of using a multi-UAV system composed of multiple UAVs has become a new main research direction [6,7].…”

An Efficient Tasks Scheduling Algorithm for Drone Operations in the Indoor Environment

“…In [13], the authors have proposed a hierarchical strategy of assigning tasks to different drones for carrying weights for search-and-rescue purposes. The authors propose an algorithm that breaks down the assignment of drone tasks into a small scale.…”

Three‐stage improved algorithm based on clustering decomposition and its application in drone demand and task allocation

“…Hoang and Rabaey [16] proved that the clustering decomposition algorithm has a good application prospect in the multi-drone resource scheduling problem. Chen et al [17] first proposed a model decoupling algorithm based on density clustering and negotiation mechanism is raised to decompose the large-scale task assignment problem into several non-intersection. Then, a cluster head selection method based on multi-attribute decision is put forward to select the cluster head for each UAV team.…”

“…In this section, keep the drone type unchanged. By discussing the ratio between the mean of the normal distribution of demand and the upper FIGURE 17 The demand obeys a normal distribution with equal means FIGURE 18 The demand obeys a normal distribution with equal standard deviations limit of the drone load (the load capability ratio is as follows: (29)), the ratio of the diameter of the network supply point to the upper limit of the drone endurance distance (the endurance capability ratio is shown in Equation ( 30)), to observe the combined effect of the two constraints on the solutions. Call ratio of these two ratios as the ratio of load-endurance capability, as shown in Equation (31).…”