Drone Swarm Monitoring: Novel Modeling Approaches

The paper studies an important problem: the efficient monitoring of a rectangular area by a swarm of drones. A mathematical model of the Drone Swarm Monitoring Problem (DSMP) is offered as a generalization of the Circular Covering Problem involving disks of different radii. Another DSMP model is introduced that uses the tools of goal programming and multiobjective optimization. The latter model is mathematically simpler compared to the earlier one and allows for the application of a wider range of solvers and faster solving, which is critical in real-time monitoring. Ways to expand the application area of the DSMP models to solve more complex practical problems are outlined. An illustrative computation experiment has been conducted to confirm the validity and effectiveness of the proposed DSMP models.