Ground Target Detection Using Cooperative Unmanned Aerial Systems

In this paper, we present a comparative study that evaluates the merit of cooperative unmanned aerial sensor systems against that of a single system with equivalent capabilities. The motivation for our study stems from the current lack of theoretical and empirical work that shows the effectiveness of multiple cooperative unmanned vehicles (UAVs) over the proponents of a single, sophisticated UAV. Using a case study of searching and detecting ground targets with both electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) signatures, we quantify the advantage of multiple cooperative UAVs over a single UAV with equivalent sensing capabilities. Simulation results that support the use of cooperative systems over a single system are included.