Trajectory Optimization of SUAV for Marine Vessels Communication Relay Mission

Compared with traditional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the solar-powered UAV (SUAV) has longer flight endurance due to the converted power from solar energy and is, hence, more suitable for the task of communication relay. In this article, not only the communication performance but also the energy absorption is taken into consideration in order to generate the optimal trajectories of multi-SUAVs, which are used as the communication relay nodes for a fleet of marine vessels co-operatively. By optimizing the control inputs and predicting the states over a receding horizon in a distributed manner, this article utilizes the distributed model predictive control method to plan the corresponding SUAV trajectories in a dynamic environment. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of improving communication quality and enhancing energy absorption.