Enhanced Multi-UAV Path Planning in Complex Environments With Voronoi-Based Obstacle Modelling and Q-Learning

Abstract

To tackle the challenge of obstacle avoidance path planning for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in intricate environments, this study introduces a Voronoi graph–based model to represent the obstacle-laden environment and employs a Markov decision process (MDP) for single UAV path planning. The traditional Q-learning algorithm is enhanced by adjusting the initial state of the Q-table and fine-tuning the reward and penalty values, enabling the acquisition of efficient obstacle avoidance paths for individual UAVs in complex settings. Leveraging the improved Q-learning algorithm for single UAVs, the Q-table is iteratively refined for a fleet of UAVs, with dynamic modifications based on the waypoints chosen by each UAV. This approach ensures the generation of collision-free paths for multiple UAVs, as validated by simulation results that showcase the algorithm’s effectiveness in learning from past training data. The proposed method offers a robust framework for practical UAV trajectory generation in complex environments.