# 3D Trajectory Planning for UAV-based Search Missions: An Integrated Assessment and Search Planning Approach

**Authors:** Savvas Papaioannou, Panayiotis Kolios, Theocharis Theocharides, Christos G. Panayiotou, Marios M. Polycarpou  
**arXiv:** [2302.12587](https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.12587)  
**Date:** 2023-02-24  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2302.12587v1/

## Key points

- Planning and executing search missions in challenging and complex environments during natural and man-made disasters is crucial for finding survivors.
- Precise navigation between obstacles and time-efficient searching around 3D structures is essential in many emergency situations.
- A team of researchers has proposed an integrated assessment and search planning approach that allows an autonomous UAV agent to plan and execute collision-free search trajectories in 3D environments.
- The proposed framework integrates and automates the first two phases of a traditional search-and-rescue (SAR) mission: the assessment phase and the search phase.
- In the assessment-planning stage, a high-level assessment plan is generated to guide the UAV to fly over objects of interest, providing a first assessment of the situation at hand.
- In the second stage, termed search-planning, the UAV trajectory is further fine-tuned to allow it to search in 3D across all faces of objects of interest for survivors.
- The performance of this approach has been demonstrated through extensive simulation analysis.
- The proposed approach offers several advantages over existing methods for UAV-based search missions, including efficient planning and execution of collision-free trajectories in complex 3D environments while automating critical aspects of SAR missions such as assessing areas for potential survivors.

## Summary

The ability to plan and execute search missions in challenging and complex environments during natural and man-made disasters is crucial for finding survivors. In many emergency situations, precise navigation between obstacles and time-efficient searching around 3D structures is essential. To address this need, a team of researchers led by Savvas Papaioannou, Panayiotis Kolios, Theocharis Theocharides, Christos G. Panayiotou, and Marios M. Polycarpou have proposed an integrated assessment and search planning approach that allows an autonomous UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) agent to plan and execute collision-free search trajectories in 3D environments. The proposed framework aims to integrate and automate the first two phases of a traditional search-and-rescue (SAR) mission: the assessment phase and the search phase. In the assessment-planning stage, the researchers aim to find a high-level assessment plan that the UAV agent can execute to visit a set of points of interest. This generated plan guides the UAV to fly over objects of interest, providing a first assessment of the situation at hand. In the second stage, termed search-planning, the UAV trajectory is further fine-tuned to allow it to search in 3D across all faces of objects of interest for survivors. The performance of this approach has been demonstrated through extensive simulation analysis. The proposed approach offers several advantages over existing methods for UAV-based search missions. It enables efficient planning and execution of collision-free trajectories in complex 3D environments while automating critical aspects of SAR missions such as assessing areas for potential survivors. Overall, this research presents a promising solution that could significantly improve response times during emergencies by enabling more efficient searches for survivors using autonomous UAVs.