Evaluation of Coordinated Drone Swarm Operation as a Synthetic Aperture Antenna: A simulation-based study
Godbole, Tanmay Ram (2019)
2019
Tietotekniikan DI-ohjelma - Degree Programme in Information Technology
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2019-11-21
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-201911035671
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-201911035671
Tiivistelmä
This thesis investigates the performance of Synthetic Aperture Antennas formed by static formations of UAV swarms in terms of several selected parameters. Of equal importance is the methodology employed in the study, which makes use of a custom simulation platform. The developed simulation platform is unique in having the ability to concurrently model physics, robotics, and communications, while also handling antenna modeling. This makes it uniquely suited for the task of studying the trends arising from the complex processes involved in the operation of \gls{uav} swarms.
The formation shape, the use of inter-element spacing in formation control, the wavelength, and the wind strength are the various parameters whose effects are investigated. The results point to trade-offs made through the choice of one formation over another, while supporting the use of inter-element spacing in formation control. Additionally, wind is found to adversely affect performance, while larger wavelengths have the opposite effect.
The results obtained provide valuable insights into the operation of swarm-based Synthetic Aperture Antennas, which, while interesting in their own right, can also be utilized in the planning of operations making use of UAV swarms. Moreover, the study in this thesis demonstrates the validity and flexibility of application of the chosen methodology.
The formation shape, the use of inter-element spacing in formation control, the wavelength, and the wind strength are the various parameters whose effects are investigated. The results point to trade-offs made through the choice of one formation over another, while supporting the use of inter-element spacing in formation control. Additionally, wind is found to adversely affect performance, while larger wavelengths have the opposite effect.
The results obtained provide valuable insights into the operation of swarm-based Synthetic Aperture Antennas, which, while interesting in their own right, can also be utilized in the planning of operations making use of UAV swarms. Moreover, the study in this thesis demonstrates the validity and flexibility of application of the chosen methodology.