Optimized routing of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the application of herbicides in agriculture

• Grant number: 22/14941-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Mathematics - Applied Mathematics
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Marcos Cossi
• Grantee: Leonardo Antonio Araújo Biscaino
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ilha Solteira. Ilha Solteira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this Scientific Initiation (CI) work, a model will be developed to promote the optimized routing of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) for spraying weeds with herbicide at specific points in agriculture. In this case, the UAV will carry a load that is the object of spraying. The objective of determining the best path to be followed by the UAV is directly related to the optimization of the vehicle's energy consumption, for an ideal set of spray points, considering its flight autonomy and herbicide application capacity. The UAV to be considered in the work is of the quadrirotor type. The mathematical model should optimize the UAV's path, subject to the restriction of its flight autonomy and herbicide application capacity. To solve the problem and find the best route-optimized solution, the solution technique known as Genetic Algorithm will be used. It is intended to test the model developed using data from any agricultural crop, obtained from the literature and whose spraying points (coordinates) are previously known.