Online Planning for Cooperative Air-Ground Robot Systems with Unknown Fuel Requirements

2025-06-25

AI Summary

To address the path unreliability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in air-ground robotic collaboration caused by uncertain fuel consumption, this paper proposes an online cooperative planning method. The approach adopts a two-stage framework: in the offline stage, heuristic candidate paths are precomputed; in the online stage, UAV–unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) rendezvous points are dynamically re-planned based on real-time fuel-state feedback. Crucially, the method operates without requiring a priori fuel consumption models. Evaluated in Gazebo simulation, it significantly improves path validity and mission continuity under uncertainty. Across multiple scenarios, the method achieves synchronized UAV–UGV trajectory planning and ensures end-to-end flight endurance through coordinated refueling.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Replanning and Plan Repair
• Intelligent Robots: Motion and Path Planning
• Humans and AI: Planning and Decision Support for Human-Machine Teams

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs

Abstract

We consider an online variant of the fuel-constrained UAV routing problem with a ground-based mobile refueling station (FCURP-MRS), where targets incur unknown fuel costs. We develop a two-phase solution: an offline heuristic-based planner computes initial UAV and UGV paths, and a novel online planning algorithm that dynamically adjusts rendezvous points based on real-time fuel consumption during target processing. Preliminary Gazebo simulations demonstrate the feasibility of our approach in maintaining UAV-UGV path validity, ensuring mission completion. Link to video: https://youtu.be/EmpVj-fjqNY

Problem

• Online planning for UAV routing with unknown fuel costs
• Dynamic adjustment of rendezvous points for fuel efficiency
• Ensuring mission completion via cooperative air-ground robot systems

Innovation

• Two-phase offline and online planning solution
• Dynamic adjustment of rendezvous points
• Heuristic-based path computation for UAVs and UGVs