Low-Altitude UAV Trajectory Optimization for Complex 3D Terrains Based on Energy Consumption

A novel three-dimensional flight energy consumption model for UAVs, combined with an upgraded ant colony algorithm, significantly reduces energy usage by 9.1% to 36.3% compared to existing greedy algorithms while ensuring comprehensive coverage of complex terrains like Jiuzhaigou Valley. The approach incorporates dynamic pheromone updating and elite strategies to optimize climb energy consumption and obstruction penalties, addressing the limitations of traditional two-dimensional trajectory planning. Simulation experiments using real topographic data validate its effectiveness in enhancing UAV efficiency for applications such as environmental monitoring and geographic mapping.

Ouyang, N., Xie, J., & Lin, F. (2025). Low-Altitude UAV Trajectory Optimization for Complex 3D Terrains Based on Energy Consumption. 2025 6th International Conference on Computer Engineering and Application (ICCEA), 01–08. https://doi.org/10.1109/iccea65460.2025.11103265