Distributed collaborative complete coverage path planning based on hybrid strategy

Collaborative coverage path planning(CCPP) refers to obtaining the shortest paths passing over all places except obstacles in a certain area or space. A multi-unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) collaborative CCPP algorithm is proposed for the urban rescue search or military search in outdoor environment.Due to flexible control of small UAVs, it can be considered that all UAVs fly at the same altitude, that is, they perform search tasks on a two-dimensional plane. Based on the agents’ motion characteristics and environmental information, a mathematical model of CCPP problem is established. The minimum time for UAVs to complete the CCPP is the objective function, and complete coverage constraint, no-fly constraint, collision avoidance constraint, and communication constraint are considered. Four motion strategies and two communication strategies are designed. Then a distributed CCPP algorithm is designed based on hybrid strategies. Simulation results compared with patternbased genetic algorithm(PBGA) and random search method show that the proposed method has stronger real-time performance and better scalability and can complete the complete CCPP task more efficiently and stably.

Parameter value selection strategy for complete coverage path planning based on the Lüsystem to perform specific types of missions

We propose a novel parameter value selection strategy for the Lüsystem to construct a chaotic robot to accomplish the complete coverage path planning(CCPP)task.The algorithm can meet the requirements of high randomness and coverage rate to perform specific types of missions.First,we roughly determine the value range of the parameter of the Lüsystem to meet the requirement of being a dissipative system.Second,we calculate the Lyapunov exponents to narrow the value range further.Next,we draw the phase planes of the system to approximately judge the topological distribution characteristics of its trajectories.Furthermore,we calculate the Pearson correlation coefficient of the variable for those good ones to judge its random characteristics.Finally,we construct a chaotic robot using variables with the determined parameter values and simulate and test the coverage rate to study the relationship between the coverage rate and the random characteristics of the variables.The above selection strategy gradually narrows the value range of the system parameter according to the randomness requirement of the coverage trajectory.Using the proposed strategy,proper variables can be chosen with a larger Lyapunov exponent to construct a chaotic robot with a higher coverage rate.Another chaotic system,the Lorenz system,is used to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the designed strategy.The proposed strategy for enhancing the coverage rate of the mobile robot can improve the efficiency of accomplishing CCPP tasks under specific types of missions.

Complete coverage path planning for an Arnold system based mobile robot to perform specific types of missions

We propose a contraction transformation algorithm to plan a complete coverage trajectory for a mobile robot to ac-complish specific types of missions based on the Arnold dynamical system. First, we construct a chaotic mobile robot by com-bining the variable z of the Arnold equation and the kinematic equation of the robot. Second, we construct the candidate sets including the initial points with a relatively high coverage rate of the constructed mobile robot. Then the trajectory is contracted to the current position of the robot based on the designed contraction transformation strategy, to form a continuous complete cov-erage trajectory to execute the specific types of missions. Compared with the traditional method, the designed algorithm requires no obstacle avoidance to the boundary of the given workplace, possesses a high coverage rate, and keeps the chaotic characteristics of the produced coverage trajectory relatively unchanged, which enables the robot to accomplish special missions with features of completeness, randomness, or unpredictability.

Resurrected From the Past

China has a new spot on the UNESCO World Heritage ListThree sites of the Tusi heritage—areas resided in by ethnic minorities in southwest and central China from the 13th century to the mid-20th century—were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in July,increasing the number of the country’s World Heritage Sites to 48,the second largest in the world following Italy.