Optimal search mission with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles using Mixed Integer Linear Programming

This paper proposes the use of Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) for efficient planning of search missions. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) taking part in a search mission are assumed to be equipped with cameras or other sensors, with a specified field-of-view below the UAV. The design and implementation of this search algorithm have been made for a general case, such that multiple UAVs with arbitrarily geographically located base stations can take part in the joint search mission and be allocated to different parts of the search area. An algorithm for automatically generation of waypoints inside the defined area has been developed, such that the whole area is covered by the sensors field-of-view when all waypoints have been visited.