With the rapid advancement of UAV technology, the utilization of multi-UAV cooperative operations has become increasingly prevalent in various domains, including military and civilian applications. However, achieving efficient coordinated rounding-up of multiple UAVs remains a challenging problem. This paper addresses the issue of collaborative drone hunting by proposing a decision-making control model based on deep reinforcement learning. Additionally, a shared experience data pool is established to facilitate communication between drones. Each drone possesses independent decision-making and control capabilities while also considering the presence of other drones in the environment to collaboratively accomplish obstacle avoidance and rounding-up tasks. Furthermore, we redefine and design the reward function of reinforcement learning to achieve precise control of drone swarms in diverse environments. Simulation experiments demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method, showcasing its successful completion of obstacle avoidance, tracking, and rounding-up tasks in an obstacle environment.

Navigating multiple drones autonomously in complex and unpredictable environments, such as forests, poses a significant challenge typically addressed by wireless communication for coordination. However, this approach falls short in situations with limited central control or blocked communications. Addressing this gap, our paper explores the learning of complex behaviors by multiple drones with limited vision. Drones in a swarm rely on onboard sensors, primarily forward-facing stereo cameras, for environmental perception and neighbor detection. They learn complex maneuvers through the imitation of a privileged expert system, which involves finding the optimal set of neural network parameters to enable the most effective mapping from sensory perception to control commands. The training process adopts the Dagger algorithm, employing the framework of centralized training with decentralized execution. Using this technique, drones rapidly learn complex behaviors, such as avoiding obstacles, coordinating movements, and navigating to specified targets, all in the absence of wireless communication. This paper details the construction of a distributed multi-UAV cooperative motion model under limited vision, emphasizing the autonomy of each drone in achieving coordinated flight and obstacle avoidance. Our methodological approach and experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed vision-based end-to-end controller, paving the way for more sophisticated applications of multi-UAV systems in intricate, real-world scenarios.

Various metaheuristic algorithms inspired by nature have been designed to deal with a variety of practical optimization problems. As an excellent metaheuristic algorithm, the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm based on grouping (IPSO) has strong global search capabilities. However, it lacks a strong local search ability and the ability to solve constrained discrete optimization problems. This paper focuses on improving these two aspects of the IPSO algorithm. Based on IPSO, we propose an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm based on variable neighborhood search (VN-IPSO) and design a 0-1 integer programming solution with constraints. In the experiment, the performance of the VN-IPSO algorithm is fully tested and analyzed using 23 classic benchmark functions (continuous optimization), 6 knapsack problems (discrete optimization), and 10 CEC2017 composite functions (complex functions). The results show that the VN-IPSO algorithm wins 18 first places in the classic benchmark function test set, including 6 first places in the solutions for seven unimodal test functions, indicating a good local search ability. In solving the six knapsack problems, it wins four first places, demonstrating the effectiveness of the 0-1 integer programming constraint solution and the excellent solution ability of VN-IPSO in discrete optimization problems. In the test of 10 composite functions, VN-IPSO wins first place four times and ranks the first in the comprehensive ranking, demonstrating its excellent solving ability for complex functions.

Solving the multi-UAV task allocation problem with complex constraints (MTAPCc) by means of the constrained multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (cMOEAs) is novel research in the field of Operation Research. Its advantages mainly consist of two aspects. One is that it can find feasible solutions that satisfy the constraints within an acceptable time. The other is that the obtained Pareto solution set can offer more options for decision-makers. This paper presents a dualneighborhood search based dual-population coevolutionary algorithm (ccDNCA), which can specifically solve the constrained multi-objective combinatorial optimization problems (cMCOPs) based on permutation encoding, including the MTAPCc. The dual-population coevolutionary framework and the multistrategy collaborative constraint handling method of ccDNCA can effectively improve the efficiency of constraint handling and the ability of finding better solutions. The dual-neighborhood alternating local search (DN-ALS) framework can effectively increase the proportion of feasible solutions during the evolution and enhance the quality of the final solution set. The strategy pool integrated with multiple local search strategies can push the search towards regions with better objective values and constraint values, while enhancing the generalization ability of ccDNCA. In the experimental part, by comprehensively comparing the solution results of ccDNCA with those of other advanced algorithms, it is demonstrated that ccDNCA has significant superiority when dealing with cMCOPs based on permutation encoding, such as the MTAPCc and the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Window constraints (VRPTW).

This research presents a novel deep learning framework designed to enable autonomous navigation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms through confined spaces, specifically focusing on the challenge of hole crossing. Leveraging the Gazebo simulation environment, we develop and test a vision-based swarm control strategy that employs onboard cameras and a TensorFlow-based end-to-end controller for decentralized, onboard decision-making. Our approach eliminates the reliance on inter-UAV Wireless communication, instead utilizing deep learning algorithms to process visual inputs and guide UAVs through narrow openings autonomously. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed system's robustness in formation control and obstacle avoidance, achieving successful navigation without the need for external positional data sharing. The study compares the performance of our deep learning-driven model against traditional control systems, revealing comparable efficiency and highlighting the potential for practical applications. This research advances the field of autonomous UAV operations, offering a scalable and effective solution for UAV swarm navigation in complex environments, thereby opening new avenues for the application of UAV swarms in areas such as search and rescue, surveillance, and environmental monitoring.