A systematic review on metaheuristic approaches for autonomous path planning of unmanned aerial vehicles

In the path planning of UAVs, autonomous decision-making and control are challenging tasks in the uncertain 3D environment consisting of static and dynamic obstacles. Hence, the selection of appropriate path-planning approaches is essential. In the proposed work, we have considered the meta-heuristic approaches only for an in-depth review. Metaheuristic approaches have been remarkably known for solving complex problems, optimal solutions, and lesser computational complexity compared to deterministic approaches that produce an inefficient solution. An in-depth review has been made by considering the approaches used for path planning, their advantages, disadvantages, applications, the type of time domain (offline or online), type of environment (simulation or real time), hybridization with other approaches, single or multiple UAV system, and obstacle handled (static or dynamic). It is observed that current meta-heuristic methods face constraints like inadequate convergence rates, entrapment in local optima, and complex operations, necessitating continuous development of novel approaches. Implementation of path-planning approaches are very much limited to simulation study over experimental analysis. Hybrid algorithms emerge as a potential solution for tackling these hurdles and optimizing UAV navigation, particularly in dynamic environments involving multiple UAVs. The paper highlights key research gaps, trends, along with prospects in the field of research.