Simultaneous Planning of Path-and-Rendezvous PointsUsing Bidirectional Informed RRT* for UAV-UGV Coordination

Abstract

Cooperative exploration by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) is efficient for long-duration surveys and wider exploration areas. We propose a rendezvous point determination and path planning method that reduces the travel distance between survey points in a UAV-UGV cooperative system, in which the UAV can recharge itself by landing on the UGV. In this study, Bidirectional Informed Rapidly-exploring Random Tree* that selectively extends paths for UAV and UGV in a specific direction is developed. Simulation study in three different terrains confirms that this method can reduce the travel distance by 5–7% compared to existing methods.