This paper studies the problem of generating cooperative feasible paths for formation rendezvous of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Cooperative path-planning for multi-UAV formation rendezvous is mostly a complicated multi-objective optimization problem with many coupled constraints. In order to satisfy the kinematic constraints, i.e., the maximum curvature constraint and the requirement of continuous curvature of the UAV path, the Pythagorean hodograph (PH) curve is adopted as the parameterized path because of its curvature continuity and rational intrinsic properties. Inspired by the co-evolutionary theory, a distributed cooperative particle swarm optimization (DCPSO) algorithm with an elite keeping strategy is proposed to generate a flyable and safe path for each UAV. This proposed algorithm can meet the kinematic constraints of UAVs and the cooperation requirements among UAVs. Meanwhile, the optimal or sub-optimal paths can be obtained. Finally, numerical simulations in 2-D and 3-D environments are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and stability of the proposed algorithm. Simulation results show that the paths generated by the proposed DCPSO can not only meet the kinematic constraints of UAVs and safety requirements, but also achieve the simultaneous arrival and collision avoidance between UAVs for formation rendezvous. Compared with the cooperative co-evolutionary genetic algorithm (CCGA), the proposed DCPSO has better stability and a higher searching success rate.

A hierarchical mission planning method was proposed to solve a simultaneous attack mission planning problem for multi-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The method consisted of three phases aiming to decouple and solve the mission planning problem. In the first phase, the Pythagorean hodograph (PH) curve was used in the path estimation process for each UAV, which also served as the input for the task allocation process. In the second phase, a task allocation algorithm based on a negotiation mechanism was proposed to assign the targets. Considering the resource requirement, time-dependent value of targets and resource consumption of UAVs, the proposed task allocation algorithm can generate a feasible allocation strategy and get the maximum system utility. In the last phase, a path planning method was proposed to generate a simultaneous arrival PH path for each UAV considering UAV’s kinematic constraint and collision avoidance with obstacles. The comparison simulations showed that the path estimation process using the PH curve and the proposed task allocation algorithm improved the system utility, and the hierarchical mission planning method has potential in a real mission.

The coupled task allocation and path planning problem for heterogeneous multiple unmanned aerial vehicles performing a search and attack mission involving obstacles and no-fly zones are addressed. The importance of the target is measured using a time-dependent value. A task allocation algorithm is proposed to obtain the maximum system utility. In the system utility function, the reward of the target, path lengths of unmanned aerial vehicles, and number of unmanned aerial vehicles to perform a simultaneous attack are considered. The path length of the unmanned aerial vehicles based on the Pythagorean hodograph curve is calculated, and it serves as the input for the task allocation problem. A resource management method for unmanned aerial vehicles is used, so that the resource consumption of the unmanned aerial vehicles can be balanced. To satisfy the requirement of simultaneous attacks and the unmanned aerial vehicle kinematic constraints in an environment involving obstacles and no-fly zones, a distributed cooperative particle swarm optimization algorithm is developed to generate flyable and safe Pythagorean hodograph curve trajectories for unmanned aerial vehicles to achieve simultaneous arrival. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to demonstrate the performance of the proposed task allocation and path planning method.

Micro air vehicle (MAV) swarm is increasingly deployed in complex cooperative search-and-execute missions, in which efficient task allocation becomes critical because of severe resource and communication constraints. Although overlapping coalition formation (OCF) has shown advantages in resource utilization compared with traditional disjoint approaches, the significant impact on time-varying communication topologies caused by the high mobility and limited communication range typical of MAV platforms is mostly neglected. To tackle these challenges in realistic MAV swarm operations, this paper proposes a capability-centric OCF method specifically tailored for dynamic, communication-constrained environments. We present the Topology-Adaptive Capability Matching (TACM) algorithm, which combines a market-based auction mechanism with capability-driven heuristics. TACM enables MAVs to dynamically aggregate heterogeneous capabilities on-the-fly while strictly adhering to local communication constraints through a hop-limited propagation strategy. Additionally, an equitable capability consumption mechanism is introduced to balance resource depletion across swarm members, thereby improving the long-term operational resilience and robustness of the MAV swarm. Results from extensive simulation demonstrate that the proposed method effectively adapts to the rapid topology changes induced by MAV mobility. Comparative studies show that TACM significantly outperforms the polynomial time coalition formation algorithm and the multi-objective quantum genetic algorithm in terms of average mission completion time and overall system utility under the time-varying communication conditions typical of MAV applications.