A Cooperative Multi-UAV System Framework for Precision Agriculture with GNSS Interference Mitigation

The growing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) covers several applications in the civilian and military domains. One prominent application of this technology is precision agriculture, which offers innovative solutions to complex challenges. This paper focuses on integrating UAVs in precision agriculture, emphasizing the cooperative transfer of tasks while mitigating interference in GNSS systems. The proposed methodology is based on autonomous UAV navigation, using onboard cameras to ensure precise maneuvers along crop rows. This approach reduces the exclusive reliance on GNSS signals, overcoming a common limitation in drone applications, including precision agriculture settings. The study demonstrates the system’s effectiveness through simulations on the Gazebo platform. The system manages the transfer of tasks, allowing UAVs to assume, execute, and transfer tasks autonomously, considering factors such as battery level and remaining agrochemical payload during spraying. This paper contributes to the evolution of precision agriculture by mitigating GNSS interference challenges through a cooperative UAV approach.