UAV-TISP: A simulation platform for collaborative task training and algorithm development in multi-rotor UAV clusters

Zhi-Bin Xie; Hong-Ying Zhang; Xiu-Qin Cheng; Ze-Kun Wang; Xiao-Long Wang; Kai Xi; Qiang Guo

doi:10.1016/j.jnlest.2025.100327

Journal of Electronic Science and Technology ›› 2025, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (4) :100327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnlest.2025.100327

research-article

UAV-TISP: A simulation platform for collaborative task training and algorithm development in multi-rotor UAV clusters

Author information +

North Automatic Control Technology Institute, Taiyuan, 030006, China

^* E-mail addresses: xiezhibin@bfzdkz.cn (Z.-B. Xie),

hycham@bfzdkz.cn (H.-Y. Zhang),

chengxiuqin@bfzdkz.cn (X.-Q. Cheng),

wangzekun@bfzdkz.cn (Z.-K. Wang),

18735398128@bfzdkz.cn (X.-L. Wang),

3303@bfzdkz.cn (K. Xi),

gq@bfzdkz.cn (Q. Guo).

Zhi-Bin Xie was born in Shanxi, China in 1987. He received the B.S. degree in communication engineering from Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU), Beijing, China in 2010 and the M.S. degree in communication and information system from BJTU in 2013. His research interests include software development, system simulation, and information theory.

Hong-Ying Zhang was born in Shanxi, China in 1990. He received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering and automatization from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu, China in 2012 and the M.S. degree in control science and engineering from UESTC in 2015. He is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree in electronic information with the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, UESTC. His research interests include C4ISR system development, manned/unmanned information system development, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm control theory.

Xiu-Qin Cheng born in Shanxi, China in 1985. She received the B.S. degree in measurement and control technology and instrumentation from North University of China (NUC), Taiyuan, China in 2008, and the M.S. degree in measurement and metrology technology and instrumentation from NUC in 2011. Her main research interests include software development, UAV command & control, and inspection & maintenance.

Ze-kun Wang born in Shanxi, China in 1995. He received the B.S. degree in applied mathematics from Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China in 2018 and the M.S. degree in system engineering from North Automatic Control Technology Institute, Taiyuan, China in 2022. His research interests include mathematical modeling and applied mathematics.

Xiao-Long Wang was born in Shanxi, China in 1997. He received the B.S. degree in weapon systems and engineering from NUC in 2019 and the M.S. degree in aerospace engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), Xi’an, China in 2022. His research interests include software development, cluster control, and system simulation.

Kai Xi was born in Shanxi, China in 1996. He received the B.S. degree in communication engineering from NUC in 2018 and the M.S. degree in communication and information system from NPU in 2021.His research interests include software development, system simulation, and UAV command & control system.

Qiang Guo was born in Shanxi, China in 1996. He received the B.S. degree in automobile engineering from NUC in 2018 and the M.S. degree in aircraft design from NPU in 2022. His research interests include software development, cluster control, and intelligent control.

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Abstract

To fulfill the training requirements for the daily operations of multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) clusters, a UAV cluster collaborative task integrated simulation platform (UAV-TISP) was developed. The platform integrates a suite of hardware and software to simulate a range of collaborative UAV cluster operation scenarios. It features modules for collaborative task planning, UAV cluster simulations, and tactical monitoring. The platform significantly reduces training costs by eliminating physical drone dependencies while offering a flexible environment for testing swarm algorithms. UAV-TISP supports both individual UAV and swarm operations, incorporating high-fidelity flight dynamics, real-time communication via user datagram protocol (UDP), and collision avoidance strategies. Utilizing the OSGEarth engine, it enables dynamic 3D environment visualization and scenario customization. Three key task scenarios—route flight, formation reconstruction, and formation transformation—were tested to validate the platform’s efficacy. Results demonstrated robust formation maintenance, adaptive collision avoidance, and seamless task execution. Comparative analysis with Gazebo Sim revealed lower trajectory deviations in UAV-TISP, highlighting its superior accuracy in simulating real-world flight dynamics. Future work will focus on enhancing scalability for diverse UAV models, optimizing swarm networking under communication constraints, and expanding mission scenarios. UAV-TISP serves as a versatile tool for both operational training and advanced algorithm development in UAV cluster applications.

Keywords

Mission planning / Multi-rotor UAV cluster / Scene visualization / Simulation platform

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Zhi-Bin Xie, Hong-Ying Zhang, Xiu-Qin Cheng, Ze-Kun Wang, Xiao-Long Wang, Kai Xi, Qiang Guo. UAV-TISP: A simulation platform for collaborative task training and algorithm development in multi-rotor UAV clusters. Journal of Electronic Science and Technology, 2025, 23(4): 100327 DOI:10.1016/j.jnlest.2025.100327

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