A Distributed Persistent Coverage Algorithm of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Complex Mission Areas

In a dynamic and complex environment, persistent coverage can effectively reduce the uncertainty of the area. This paper designs a distributed area persistent coverage algorithm for the multi-UAV system based on the area coverage information maps. UAVs rely on the information obtained from their detection and local communication to make online coverage decisions. The algorithm considers the detection probability of the sensors and the importance of different areas to achieve a controllable coverage. Moreover, according to collision avoidance and decentralization rules in the distributed anti-flocking method, UAVs can disperse in the area as far as possible and avoid collisions. Simulation results show that the algorithm can achieve continuous and stable coverage of the task area with good scalability, adaptability, and robustness.