System simulation of a fleet of drones to probe cumulus clouds

Simulation plays an essential role in the development of complex systems. This paper reports on the development of a simulation infrastructure for a fleet of UAVs conceived to probe clouds, using an adaptive sampling scheme that calls for cloud mapping and trajectory planning. The mission is presented, the global approach to solve it and the ensemble of required processes are sketched. An overall simulation architecture is then depicted, and the details of its development using the Robot Operating System (ROS) are presented.