International Business Machines Corporation
Method of optimized path planning for UAVs for the purpose of ground coverage

Abstract:

A method includes defining a two-dimensional geographic region by two-dimensional geographic coordinates to define the bounds of the region, converting each of the two-dimensional coordinates to three dimensional coordinates by way of a lookup stored in a computer readable medium, generating a three-dimensional grid of points, each spaced in an arrangement to encompass coverage of a predetermined ground area, and applying heuristics for a shortest path planning, relative to the three-dimensional grid of points.