Abstract
This paper presents a novel autonomous drone-based smoke plume tracking system capable of navigating and tracking plumes in highly unsteady atmospheric conditions. The system integrates advanced hardware and software and a comprehensive simulation environment to ensure robust performance in controlled and real-world settings. The quadrotor, equipped with a high-resolution imaging system and an advanced onboard computing unit, performs precise maneuvers while accurately detecting and tracking dynamic smoke plumes under fluctuating conditions. Our software implements a two-phase flight operation, i.e., descending into the smoke plume upon detection and continuously monitoring the smoke movement during in-plume tracking. Leveraging Proportional Integral-Derivative (PID) control and a Proximal Policy Optimization based Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) controller enables adaptation to plume dynamics. Unreal Engine simulation evaluates performance under various smoke-wind scenarios, from steady flow to complex, unsteady fluctuations, showing that while the PID controller performs adequately in simpler scenarios, the DRL-based controller excels in more challenging environments. Field tests corroborate these findings. This system opens new possibilities for drone-based monitoring in areas like wildfire management and air quality assessment. The successful integration of DRL for real-time decision-making advances autonomous drone control for dynamic environments.
Abstract (translated)
本文介绍了一种新颖的自主无人机烟羽追踪系统，该系统能够在高度不稳定的大气条件下导航和跟踪烟羽。该系统集成了先进的硬件与软件，并且包括一个全面的模拟环境，以确保在控制和现实世界设置中均能实现稳健性能。四旋翼飞行器配备了高分辨率成像系统和高级机载计算单元，在不断变化的情况下能够执行精确操作并准确地检测和跟踪动态烟羽。 我们的软件实施了两个阶段的飞行操作：即探测到烟羽后下降进入烟羽，并在进入烟羽后持续监测烟雾运动。通过利用比例积分微分(PID)控制以及基于近端策略优化（Proximal Policy Optimization）的深度强化学习(DRL)控制器，使系统能够适应烟羽动态变化。 借助Unreal Engine模拟器，在各种烟雾-风环境场景下评估了系统的性能，从稳定的气流到复杂的不稳定性波动。结果显示：虽然PID控制器在简单情况下表现良好，但基于DRL的控制器在更复杂和具有挑战性的环境中表现出色。实地测试验证了这些发现。 该系统为无人机监测开辟了新的可能性，特别是在野火管理和空气质量评估等领域。将深度强化学习成功集成到实时决策制定中，有助于自主无人机控制在动态环境中的发展与应用。
URL
https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.12664
