Realization of Remote Monitoring and Navigation System for Multiple UAV Swarm Missions: Using 4G/WiFi-Mesh Communications and RTK GPS Positioning Technology

A remote monitoring and navigation system for multiple UAV swarm missions is proposed in this paper. The real-time kinematic global positioning system (RTK-GPS) technology based on carrier phase observation is introduced to solve the flight safety problem of multiple UAV formations. The remote monitoring software provides the planning of the flight paths of multiple UAVs and the collection of real-time flight data. The remote signal transmission between the UAV and the ground station is realized by 4G network communication. The formation cooperation information between the UAVs is transmitted through the WiFi-Mesh Internet, which has better communication reliability and automatic recovery capability. In terms of guidance and control, the ROS in NVIDIA Jetson Nano generates the best obstacle avoidance flight trajectory according to the planned path combined with the visual obstacle avoidance algorithm, and then the PX4 performs flight trajectory tracking and attitude control. The actual verification results show that RTK-GPS can achieve a positioning accuracy with a variation error of less than 5.15 cm under cloudy conditions, and the precise positioning coverage exceeds 10-kilometer radius of the fixed station. In addition, the maximum error of the flight trajectory control is about 83 cm under the condition of level 4 wind disturbance.