Effectiveness of a Camera as a UAV Mounted Search Sensor for Target Detection: An Experimental Investigation

In this paper, we consider a problem of autonomous search using single or multiple Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAVs) mounted with downward-facing cameras. A model of the effectiveness of the search sensor, camera, in this case, is essential for developing strategies for optimal deployment and path planning of UAVs for efficient search. The probability of detection of a target of interest as a function of its distance from the point directly below the camera is used to model the search effectiveness. We carried out experiments and obtained a search effectiveness model for a camera in the laboratory environment using ArUco markers and triangular shapes as targets.