Adaptable UAV Swarm Autonomy and Formation Platform

This ongoing study delves into an autonomous swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that takes mission requirements and moves in formations based on user input. We utilize commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and open source software to create a low-cost accessible platform for the potential use in commercial and research applications. The system is scalable, with the capability of swarm formation in both static and dynamic configurations using real-time path planning and optimized target assignment. The group of UAVs used in this study consists of multiple quadcopters, each equipped with an on-board computer, a flight controller, and COTS telemetry and GPS modules. Commands are sent to the swarm via a ground station. The ground station and UAVs communicate via a WiFi datalink. The system has demonstrated path-planning with collision avoidance capabilities through simulations. This study shows via simulation and partially through experimentation that swarm autonomy can be implemented effectively and cost-efficiently. This creates an ease of access for the use of a swarm of UAVs for a variety of applications including 3D mapping, and search and rescue across a variety of terrains with increasing difficulty. By integrating other sensors and instruments, this swarm can be used to measure a variety of parameters, locating targets and creating formations around them to best study the targets in areas where ground navigation and viewpoints are non-optimal.