Slot-hopping Enabled Loiter Guidance and Automation for Fixed-wing UAV Corridors

2026-04-28

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenge of high-density traffic congestion in fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) corridors by proposing a semi-cooperative guidance strategy. Upon entry, a new UAV first attempts to merge into an existing idle holding slot under its speed constraints; if infeasible, the system coordinates a minimal number of circling UAVs to perform “slot jumps,” dynamically creating a suitable vacancy. Integrating a holding-lane framework, merging optimization, and a multi-agent coordinated resequencing algorithm, the approach ensures conflict-free insertion while significantly enhancing spatial utilization. Simulation experiments demonstrate the method’s feasibility and superiority in achieving low-interference, efficient operations under high-density traffic scenarios.

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of traffic congestion management in fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) corridors by further developing a recently introduced loiter-lane framework. A semi-cooperative guidance strategy is developed for inserting fixed-wing UAVs into a loiter lane with minimal disruption to the UAVs already operating within it, while enabling a more compact fixed-wing UAV corridor. Building on the concepts of cooperative and non-disruptive loiter-lane insertion, the proposed strategy makes the incoming UAV first attempt, within its speed bounds, to rendezvous with an existing empty loiter slot. If direct insertion is infeasible, a minimal number of loitering UAVs perform coordinated slot hopping to create a suitably positioned empty slot. The feasibility and performance of the method are demonstrated through numerical simulations.

Problem

• traffic congestion
• fixed-wing UAV
• loiter lane
• slot insertion
• UAV corridor

Innovation

• slot-hopping
• loiter-lane
• fixed-wing UAV
• semi-cooperative guidance
• traffic congestion management