An Online Algorithm for Routing an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Road Network Exploration Operations after Disasters under Different Refueling Strategies

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to studying on-line routing decisions for exploring a disrupted road network in the context of humanitarian logistics using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with flying range limitations. The exploration aims to extract accurate information for assessing damage to infrastructure and road accessibility of victim locations in the aftermath of a disaster. We propose an algorithm to conduct routing decisions involving the aerial and road network simultaneously, assuming that no information about the state of the road network is available in the beginning. Our solution approach uses different strategies to deal with the detected disruptions and refueling decisions during the exploration process. The strategies differ mainly regarding where and when the UAV is refueled. We analyze the interplay of the type and level of disruption of the network with the number of possible refueling stations and the refueling strategy chosen. The aim is to find the best combination of the number of refueling stations and refueling strategy for different settings of the network type and disruption level.