Ensuring network connectivity of UAV’s performing video reconnaissance

Current and emerging military missions require image-feedback from camera-equipped assets. Motivated by mission scenarios and sensor restrictions, operations may require the collaboration of assets over an ad-hoc network. The development in this paper represents the first efforts to examine the problem of balancing tradeoffs between asset/sensor cone positioning to satisfy mission requirements and network requirements such as maintaining network connectivity. To address the trade-offs between asset positioning and network connectivity, a prioritized task-function based guidance law is developed for a simple scenario containing three assets. One developed task function maintains a communication network by ensuring the distance between the UAVpsilas does not exceed a critical threshold. Additional task-functions enable assets to keep targets of interest in the image cone by regulating image features derived from the camera view. Simulation results are provided to examine the behavior of the assets for different configurations of objects observed by the asset cameras.