Visual Coverage Control for Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems

Aerial photography in convex polygonal areas poses significant challenges for multi-UAV systems equipped with optical cameras. Achieving full coverage while maintaining highquality data collection requires precise coordination among UAVs. To address these challenges, we propose a novel distributed coverage control algorithm that dynamically adjusts UAV positions and yaw angles to optimize image quality. A new image quality function is introduced, leveraging the optical properties of onboard cameras by incorporating both pixel density and viewing angle to evaluate image quality. Furthermore, a distributed controller is designed to ensure UAVs are deployed to locally optimal positions while maintaining safe and efficient coverage of the task area. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm in achieving enhanced image quality and UAV coordination.