A Study on the Impact of Hardware Limitations in Multi-Rotor UAVs on Coverage Path Planning Models

Abstract

Search and explore missions through patrolling UAVs need effective strategies for area coverage. Various methodologies for coverage path planning were explored and analyzed through the ROS-Gazebo simulation environment using the Hector quadrotor model. Considering the impact of hardware limitations, simulations were conducted, for such missions where the UAV is needed to switch frequently between search and localize modes. This study investigated raster-scan exploration, expanding spiral search and zigzag pattern coverage to analyze the impact of limitations from Hector UAV on these models. The evaluation parameters were percentage of covered area, number of turns and time taken by the UAV.