Cyclic routing of unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

The Cyclic Routing of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (CR-UAV) problem can be described as the Traveling Salesman Problem with relative deadlines. This report discusses the approach taken to designing an algorithm that automatically plans the cyclic route of a single UAV, along with explanations of its inner workings. Ultimately, the purpose of this project is to use the algorithm to solve real-world problems relating to CR-UAV.

During experimentations, data about the performance of the algorithm was collected by having it run several times per test case. The raw output was saved in MS Excel files, and subsequently, processed and presented in tables and graphs for analysis.

Based on the test results, the algorithm is shown to be successful in solving the CR-UAV problem, and in a relatively short time.