UAVs cooperative target tracking under communication range constraints

A kind of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) cooperative ground target-tracking path-planning algorithm is proposed, and this algorithm guarantees that the communication range constraints between two UAVs and the detection constraints of the UAV's sensor are satisfied. Beginning with a formulary analysis of the reason for tracking errors, the benefit of cooperative tracking is manifested. Concerning the communication range constraints, sensor constraints and accuracy requirement, corresponding solutions are constructed in the following. In order to assess the tracking procedure, a cooperative 3D target positioning method is proposed. With respect to the tracking accuracy, simulation against non-cooperative methods is performed and the range maintaining ability as well as the accurate performance is verified in this analogous way.