Work

UAV Cooperative Search Method Based on Asynchronous Collaborative Hybrid Architecture Under Urban Communication Constraints

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Cooperative searches by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have wide applications in urban environments. However, the dense obstacles and limited communication networks in urban settings often lead to repeated searches and inefficient information sharing among UAVs. To address these challenges, this article proposes a novel cooperative strategy named the Asynchronous Collaborative Hybrid Architecture (ACHA), which is tailored for urban flight. Specifically, a digital pheromone mechanism is devised to create artificial potential field to guide UAVs’ search efficiently within local communication constraints. Moreover, UAVs switch between the dual decision mode, namely Chain-Following Mode (CFM) and Tree Expansion Mode (TEM) based on the urban environmental topology. When UAVs arrive at a bifurcation node, the TEM is activated, asynchronously triggering the Collaborative-aware Pruning Search Tree (CPT) algorithm to generate subsequent paths, after which they switch back to CFM. Theoretically, it is demonstrated that the collaborative-aware pruning scheme can avoid the “cooperative benefit trap”, where there is a significant divergence between the actual and predicted cooperative benefits. The simulation results confirm that the proposed method outperforms existing approaches in terms of cooperative search accuracy, collision risk and convergence speed in complex urban search scenarios.

Source: Drones

DOI: 10.3390/drones10030179

Authors: Xiefang Lin, Tingting Bai, Xiqiang Liu, Yong Liu

Institution: PLA Army Engineering University

Language: English

Topic: Robotic Path Planning Algorithms

Subfield: Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137