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This paper introduces a semi-cooperative guidance strategy for managing traffic congestion in fixed-wing UAV corridors using a loiter-lane framework. The strategy enables UAVs to insert into loiter lanes by either directly rendezvousing with an empty slot or coordinating "slot hopping" among existing UAVs to create a suitable opening. Numerical simulations demonstrate the feasibility and performance of the proposed method, showing its potential for creating more compact UAV corridors.
Imagine UAVs playing Tetris in the sky: this work enables them to rearrange themselves in loiter lanes to efficiently accommodate new arrivals, reducing congestion in UAV corridors.
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.