Um simulador de trajetória de VANT de asa fixa aplicado ao monitoramento espectral de radiofrequência

Abstract

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (VANTs) in radio frequency spectrum monitoring activities is one of the many possible applications of this type of vehicle, whether operating autonomously, pre-programmed to follow a planned route, or remotely controlled, and several studies have proposed algorithms for this purpose in different application contexts. This research proposes a trajectory simulator to be executed by a fixed-wing VANT, suggesting routes that include horizontal and vertical deviations during spectral monitoring of radio frequency signals emitted by known transmission stations, while also assisting in the identification of signals from unknown stations along the path. As part of the planning stage, the approach is based on refining sequences generated by basic routing algorithms used in the traveling salesman problem (TSP), as well as through modeling in the Gekko optimization suite and APOPT solver, combined with the definition of the search space derived from radio frequency characteristics of real stations and signal-to-noise ratio thresholds calculated using a propagation model appropriate to the monitored band and the VANT’s hypothetical flight altitude. The results demonstrated that the minimization achieved by the hill-climbing algorithm led to a significant reduction in trajectory length, which was adequately simulated by the proposed model. The simulation considered the presence of large obstacles requiring altitude variation, as well as horizontal deviations to bypass smaller obstacles, aided by the energy consumption function, allowing prediction of return moments for refueling and continuation of the initially proposed sequence.