Thinning of antenna arrays has been a popular topic for the last several decades. With increasing computational power, this optimization task acquired a new hue. This paper suggests a genetic algorithm as an instrument for antenna array thinning. The algorithm with a deliberately chosen fitness function allows synthesizing thinned linear antenna arrays with low peak sidelobe level (SLL) while maintaining the half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of a full linear antenna array. Based on results from existing papers in the field and known approaches to antenna array thinning, a classification of thinning types is introduced. The optimal thinning type for a linear thinned antenna array is determined on the basis of a maximum attainable SLL. The effect of thinning coefficient on main directional pattern characteristics, such as peak SLL and HPBW, is discussed for a number of amplitude distributions.

Most of the existing direction of arrival (DOA) estimation algorithms are applied under the assumption that the array manifold is ideal. In practical engineering applications, the existence of non-ideal conditions such as mutual coupling between array elements, array amplitude and phase errors, and array element position errors leads to defects in the array manifold, which makes the performance of the algorithm decline rapidly or even fail. In order to solve the problem of DOA estimation in the presence of amplitude and phase errors and array element position errors, this paper introduces the first-order Taylor expansion equivalent model of the received signal under the uniform linear array from the Bayesian point of view. In the solution, the amplitude and phase error parameters and the array element position error parameters are regarded as random variables obeying the Gaussian distribution. At the same time, the expectation-maximization algorithm is used to update the probability distribution parameters, and then the two error parameters are solved alternately to obtain more accurate DOA estimation results. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified by simulation and experiment.

A generalized multiple-mode prolate spherical wave functions (PSWFs) multi-carrier with index modulation approach is proposed with the purpose of improving the spectral efficiency of PSWFs multi-carrier systems. The proposed method, based on the optimized multi-index modulation, does not limit the number of signals in the first and second constellations and abandons the concept of limiting the number of signals in different constellations. It successfully increases the spectrum efficiency of the system while expanding the number of modulation symbol combinations and the index dimension of PSWFs signals. The proposed method outperforms the PSWFs multi-carrier index modulation method based on optimized multiple indexes in terms of spectrum efficiency, but at the expense of system computational complexity and bit error performance. For example, with $n $=10 subcarriers and a bit error rate of 1×10^?5, spectral efficiency can be raised by roughly 12.4%.

The acquisition, analysis, and prediction of the radar cross section (RCS) of a target have extremely important strategic significance in the military. However, the RCS values at all azimuths are hardly accessible for non-cooperative targets, due to the limitations of radar observation azimuth and detection resources. Despite their efforts to predict the azimuth-dimensional RCS value, traditional methods based on statistical theory fails to achieve the desired results because of the azimuth sensitivity of the target RCS. To address this problem, an improved neural basis expansion analysis for interpretable time series forecasting (N-BEATS) network considering the physical model prior is proposed to predict the azimuth-dimensional RCS value accurately. Concretely, physical model-based constraints are imposed on the network by constructing a scattering-center module based on the target scattering-center model. Besides, a superimposed seasonality module is involved to better capture high-frequency information, and augmenting the training set provides complementary information for learning predictions. Extensive simulations and experimental results are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

In order to obtain better inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) image, a novel structure-enhanced spatial spectrum is proposed for estimating the incoherence parameters and fusing multiband. The proposed method takes full advantage of the original electromagnetic scattering data and its conjugated form by combining them with the novel covariance matrices. To analyse the superiority of the modified algorithm, the mathematical expression of equivalent signal to noise ratio (SNR) is derived, which can validate our proposed algorithm theoretically. In addition, compared with the conventional matrix pencil (MP) algorithm and the conventional root-multiple signal classification (Root-MUSIC) algorithm, the proposed algorithm has better parameter estimation performance and more accurate multiband fusion results at the same SNR situations. Validity and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by simulation data and real radar data.

The Ocean 4A scatterometer, expected to be launched in 2024, is poised to be the world’s first spaceborne microwave scatterometer utilizing a digital beamforming system. To ensure high-precision measurements and performance stability across diverse environments, stringent requirements are placed on the dynamic range of its receiving system. This paper provides a detailed exposition of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based automatic gain control (AGC) design for the spaceborne scatterometer. Implemented on an FPGA, the algorithm harnesses its parallel processing capabilities and high-speed performance to monitor the received echo signals in real time. Employing an adaptive AGC algorithm, the system generates gain control codes applicable to the intermediate frequency variable attenuator, enabling rapid and stable adjustment of signal amplitudes from the intermediate frequency amplifier to an optimal range. By adopting a purely digital processing approach, experimental results demonstrate that the AGC algorithm exhibits several advantages, including fast convergence, strong flexibility, high precision, and outstanding stability. This innovative design lays a solid foundation for the high-precision measurements of the Ocean 4A scatterometer, with potential implications for the future of spaceborne microwave scatterometers.

In the field of deep space exploration, the rapid development of terahertz spectrometer has put forward higher requirements to the back-end chirp transform spectrometer (CTS) system. In order to simultaneously meet the measurement requirements of wide bandwidth and high accuracy spectral lines, we built a CTS system with an analysis bandwidth of 1 GHz and a frequency resolution of 100 kHz around the surface acoustic wave (SAW) chirp filter with a bandwidth of 1 GHz. In this paper, the relationship between the CTS nonlinear phase error shift model and the basic measurement parameters is studied, and the effect of CTS phase mismatch on the pulse compression waveform is analyzed by simulation. And the expander error optimization method is proposed for the problem that the large nonlinear error of the expander leads to the unbalanced response of the CTS system and the serious distortion of the compressed pulse waveform under large bandwidth. It is verified through simulation and experiment that the method is effective for reducing the root mean square error (RMSE) of the phase of the expander from 18.75° to 6.65°, reducing the in-band standard deviation of the CTS frequency resolution index from 8.43 kHz to 4.72 kHz, solving the problem of serious distortion of the compressed pulse waveform, and improving the uneven CTS response under large bandwidth.

Extensive experiments suggest that kurtosis-based fingerprint features are effective for specific emitter identification (SEI). Nevertheless, the lack of mechanistic explanation restricts the use of fingerprint features to a data-driven technique and further reduces the adaptability of the technique to other datasets. To address this issue, the mechanism how the phase noise of high-frequency oscillators and the nonlinearity of power amplifiers affect the kurtosis of communication signals is investigated. Mathematical models are derived for intentional modulation (IM) and unintentional modulation (UIM). Analysis indicates that the phase noise of high-frequency oscillators and the nonlinearity of power amplifiers affect the kurtosis frequency and amplitude, respectively. A novel SEI method based on frequency and amplitude of the signal kurtosis (FA-SK) is further proposed. Simulation and real-world experiments validate theoretical analysis and also confirm the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method.

In this paper, the reactive splitter network and metasurface are proposed to radiate the wide-beam isolated element pattern and suppress mutual coupling (MC) of the low-profile phased array with the triangular lattice, respectively. Thus, broadband wide-angle impedance matching (WAIM) is implemented to promote two-dimensional (2D) wide scanning. For the isolated element, to radiate the wide-beam patterns approximating to the cosine form, two identical slots backed on one substrate integrated cavity are excited by the feeding network consisting of a reactive splitter and two striplines connected with splitter output paths. For adjacent elements staggered with each other, with the metasurface superstrate, the even-mode coupling voltages on the reactive splitter are cancelled out, yielding reduced MC. With the suppression of MC and the compensation of isolated element patterns, WAIM is realized to achieve 2D wide-angle beam steering up to ± 65° in E-plane, ± 45° in H-plane and ± 60° in D-plane from 4.9 GHz to 5.85 GHz.

According to the measurement principle of the traditional interferometer, a narrowband signal model is established and used, however, for wideband signals or multiple signals, this model is invalid. For the problems of direction finding with interferometer for wideband signals and multiple signals scene, a frequency domain phase interferometer is proposed and the concrete implementation scheme is given. The proposed method computes the phase difference in frequency domain, and finds multi-target results with judging the spectrum amplitude changing, and uses the frequency phase difference to compute the arrival angle. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed method effectively solves the problem of the angle estimation with phase interferometer for wideband signals, and has good performance in multiple signals scene with non-overlapping spectrum or partially overlapping. In addition, the wider the signal bandwidth, the better direction finding performance of this algorithm.

Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks exhibit distinct characteristics, e.g., limited resources of individual satellite nodes and dynamic network topology, which have brought many challenges for routing algorithms. To satisfy quality of service (QoS) requirements of various users, it is critical to research efficient routing strategies to fully utilize satellite resources. This paper proposes a multi-QoS information optimized routing algorithm based on reinforcement learning for LEO satellite networks, which guarantees high level assurance demand services to be prioritized under limited satellite resources while considering the load balancing performance of the satellite networks for low level assurance demand services to ensure the full and effective utilization of satellite resources. An auxiliary path search algorithm is proposed to accelerate the convergence of satellite routing algorithm. Simulation results show that the generated routing strategy can timely process and fully meet the QoS demands of high assurance services while effectively improving the load balancing performance of the link.

Using the existing positioning technology can easily obtain high-precision positioning information, which can save resources and reduce complexity when used in the communication field. In this paper, we propose a location-based user scheduling and beamforming scheme for the downlink of a massive multi-user input-output system. Specifically, we combine an analog outer beamformer with a digital inner beamformer. An outer beamformer can be selected from a codebook formed by antenna steering vectors, and then a reduced-complexity inner beamformer based on iterative orthogonal matrices and right triangular matrices (QR) decomposition is applied to cancel inter-user interference. Then, we propose a low-complexity user selection algorithm using location information in this paper. We first derive the geometric angle between channel matrices, which represent the correlation between users. Furthermore, we derive the asymptotic signal to interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of the system in the context of two-stage beamforming using random matrix theory (RMT), taking into account inter-channel correlations and energies. Simulation results show that the algorithm can achieve higher system and speed while reducing computational complexity.

Jamming suppression is traditionally achieved through the use of spatial filters based on array signal processing theory. In order to achieve better jamming suppression performance, many studies have applied blind source separation (BSS) to jamming suppression. BSS can achieve the separation and extraction of the individual source signals from the mixed signal received by the array. This paper proposes a perspective to recognize BSS as spatial band-pass filters (SBPFs) for jamming suppression applications. The theoretical derivation indicates that the processing of mixed signals by BSS can be perceived as the application of a set of SBPFs that gate the source signals at various angles. Simulations are performed using radar jamming suppression as an example. The simulation results suggest that BSS and SBPFs produce approximately the same effects. Simulation results are consistent with theoretical derivation results.

Beyond-visual-range (BVR) air combat threat assessment has attracted wide attention as the support of situation awareness and autonomous decision-making. However, the traditional threat assessment method is flawed in its failure to consider the intention and event of the target, resulting in inaccurate assessment results. In view of this, an integrated threat assessment method is proposed to address the existing problems, such as overly subjective determination of index weight and imbalance of situation. The process and characteristics of BVR air combat are analyzed to establish a threat assessment model in terms of target intention, event, situation, and capability. On this basis, a distributed weight-solving algorithm is proposed to determine index and attribute weight respectively. Then, variable weight and game theory are introduced to effectively deal with the situation imbalance and achieve the combination of subjective and objective. The performance of the model and algorithm is evaluated through multiple simulation experiments. The assessment results demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method in BVR air combat, indicating its potential practical significance in real air combat scenarios.

In this paper, a feature selection method for determining input parameters in antenna modeling is proposed. In antenna modeling, the input feature of artificial neural network (ANN) is geometric parameters. The selection criteria contain correlation and sensitivity between the geometric parameter and the electromagnetic (EM) response. Maximal information coefficient (MIC), an exploratory data mining tool, is introduced to evaluate both linear and nonlinear correlations. The EM response range is utilized to evaluate the sensitivity. The wide response range corresponding to varying values of a parameter implies the parameter is highly sensitive and the narrow response range suggests the parameter is insensitive. Only the parameter which is highly correlative and sensitive is selected as the input of ANN, and the sampling space of the model is highly reduced. The modeling of a wideband and circularly polarized antenna is studied as an example to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The number of input parameters decreases from 8 to 4. The testing errors of |S₁₁| and axis ratio are reduced by 8.74% and 8.95%, respectively, compared with the ANN with no feature selection.

This paper investigates the sliding-mode-based fixed-time distributed average tracking (DAT) problem for multiple Euler-Lagrange systems in the presence of external disturbances. The primary objective is to devise controllers for each agent, enabling them to precisely track the average of multiple time-varying reference signals. By averaging these signals, we can mitigate the influence of errors and uncertainties arising during measurements, thereby enhancing the robustness and stability of the system. A distributed fixed-time average estimator is proposed to estimate the average value of global reference signals utilizing local information and communication with neighbors. Subsequently, a fixed-time sliding mode controller is introduced incorporating a state-dependent sliding mode function coupled with a variable exponent coefficient to achieve distributed average tracking of reference signals, and rigorous analytical methods are employed to substantiate the fixed-time stability. Finally, numerical simulation results are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, offering insights into its practical application and robust performance.

In this paper, the newly-derived maximum correntropy Kalman filter (MCKF) is re-derived from the M-estimation perspective, where the MCKF can be viewed as a special case of the M-estimations and the Gaussian kernel function is a special case of many robust cost functions. Based on the derivation process, a unified form for the robust Gaussian filters (RGF) based on M-estimation is proposed to suppress the outliers and non-Gaussian noise in the measurement. The RGF provides a unified form for one Gaussian filter with different cost functions and a unified form for one robust filter with different approximating methods for the involved Gaussian integrals. Simulation results show that RGF with different weighting functions and different Gaussian integral approximation methods has robust anti-jamming performance.

Ant colony optimization (ACO) is a random search algorithm based on probability calculation. However, the uninformed search strategy has a slow convergence speed. The Bayesian algorithm uses the historical information of the searched point to determine the next search point during the search process, reducing the uncertainty in the random search process. Due to the ability of the Bayesian algorithm to reduce uncertainty, a Bayesian ACO algorithm is proposed in this paper to increase the convergence speed of the conventional ACO algorithm for image edge detection. In addition, this paper has the following two innovations on the basis of the classical algorithm, one of which is to add random perturbations after completing the pheromone update. The second is the use of adaptive pheromone heuristics. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed Bayesian ACO algorithm has faster convergence and higher precision and recall than the traditional ant colony algorithm, due to the improvement of the pheromone utilization rate. Moreover, Bayesian ACO algorithm outperforms the other comparative methods in edge detection task.

International freedom of the air (traffic rights) is a key resource for airlines to carry out international air transport business. An efficient and reasonable traffic right resource allocation within a country between airlines can affect the quality of a country’s participation in international air transport. In this paper, a multi-objective mixed-integer programming model for traffic rights resource allocation is developed to minimize passenger travel mileages and maximize the number of traffic rights resources allocated to hub airports and competitive carriers. A hybrid heuristic algorithm combining the genetic algorithm and the variable neighborhood search is devised to solve the model. The results show that the optimal allocation scheme aligns with the principle of fairness, indicating that the proposed model can play a certain guiding role in and provide an innovative perspective on traffic rights resource allocation in various countries.

Solar radio burst (SRB) is one of the main natural interference sources of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals and can reduce the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), directly affecting the tracking performance of GPS receivers. In this paper, a tracking algorithm based on the adaptive Kalman filter (AKF) with carrier-to-noise ratio estimation is proposed and compared with the conventional second-order phase-locked loop tracking algorithms and the improved Sage-Husa adaptive Kalman filter (SHAKF) algorithm. It is discovered that when the SRBs occur, the improved SHAKF and the AKF with carrier-to-noise ratio estimation enable stable tracking to loop signals. The conventional second-order phase-locked loop tracking algorithms fail to track the receiver signal. The standard deviation of the carrier phase error of the AKF with carrier-to-noise ratio estimation outperforms 50.51% of the improved SHAKF algorithm, showing less fluctuation and better stability. The proposed algorithm is proven to show more excellent adaptability in the severe environment caused by the SRB occurrence and has better tracking performance.

A task allocation problem for the heterogeneous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm in unknown environments is studied in this paper. Considering that the actual mission environment information may be unknown, the UAV swarm needs to detect the environment first and then attack the detected targets. The heterogeneity of UAVs, multiple types of tasks, and the dynamic nature of task environment lead to uneven load and time sequence problems. This paper proposes an improved contract net protocol (CNP) based task allocation scheme, which effectively balances the load of UAVs and improves the task efficiency. Firstly, two types of task models are established, including regional reconnaissance tasks and target attack tasks. Secondly, for regional reconnaissance tasks, an improved CNP algorithm using the uncertain contract is developed. Through uncertain contracts, the area size of the regional reconnaissance task is determined adaptively after this task assignment, which can improve reconnaissance efficiency and resource utilization. Thirdly, for target attack tasks, an improved CNP algorithm using the fuzzy integrated evaluation and the double-layer negotiation is presented to enhance collaborative attack efficiency through adjusting the assignment sequence adaptively and multi-layer allocation. Finally, the effectiveness and advantages of the improved method are verified through comparison simulations.

Low-frequency signals have been proven valuable in the fields of target detection and geological exploration. Nevertheless, the practical implementation of these signals is hindered by large antenna diameters, limiting their potential applications. Therefore, it is imperative to study the creation of low-frequency signals using antennas with suitable dimensions. In contrast to conventional mechanical antenna techniques, our study generates low-frequency signals in the spatial domain utilizing the principle of the Doppler effect. We also defines the antenna array architecture, the timing sequency, and the radiating element signal waveform, and provides experimental prototypes including 8/64 antennas based on earlier research. In the conducted experiments, 121 MHz, 40 MHz, and 10 kHz composite signals are generated by 156 MHz radiating element signals. The composite signal spectrum matches the simulations, proving our low-frequency signal generating method works. This holds significant implications for research on generating low-frequency signals with small-sized antennas.

Architecture framework has become an effective method recently to describe the system of systems (SoS) architecture, such as the United States (US) Department of Defense Architecture Framework Version 2.0 (DoDAF2.0). As a viewpoint in DoDAF2.0, the operational viewpoint (OV) describes operational activities, nodes, and resource flows. The OV models are important for SoS architecture development. However, as the SoS complexity increases, constructing OV models with traditional methods exposes shortcomings, such as inefficient data collection and low modeling standards. Therefore, we propose an intelligent modeling method for five OV models, including operational resource flow OV-2, organizational relationships OV-4, operational activity hierarchy OV-5a, operational activities model OV-5b, and operational activity sequences OV-6c. The main idea of the method is to extract OV architecture data from text and generate interoperable OV models. First, we construct the OV meta model based on the DoDAF2.0 meta model (DM2). Second, OV architecture named entities is recognized from text based on the bidirectional long short-term memory and conditional random field (BiLSTM-CRF) model. And OV architecture relationships are collected with relationship extraction rules. Finally, we define the generation rules for OV models and develop an OV modeling tool. We use unmanned surface vehicles (USV) swarm target defense SoS architecture as a case to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the intelligent modeling method.

In this paper, we study the orthogonal time frequency space signal transmission over multi-path channel in the presence of phase noise (PHN) at both sides of millimeter wave (mmWave) communication links. The statistics characteristics of the PHN-induced common phase error and inter-Doppler interference are investigated. Then, a column-shaped pilot structure is designed, and training pilots are used to realize linear-complexity PHN tracking and compensation. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed scheme enables the signal to noise ratio loss to be restrained within 1 dB in contrast to the no PHN case.

In wideband noncooperative interference cancellation, the reference signals obtained through auxiliary antennas are weighted to cancel with the interference signal. The correlation between the reference signal and the interference signal determines interference cancellation performance, while the auxiliary antenna array affects the correlation by influencing the amplitude and phase of the reference signals. This paper analyzes the effect of auxiliary antenna array on multiple performances of wideband noncooperative interference cancellation. Firstly, the array received signal model of wideband interference is established, and the weight vector coupled with the auxiliary antennas array manifold is solved by spectral analysis and eigen-subspace decomposition. Then, multiple performances which include cancellation resolution, grating null, wideband interference cancellation ratio (ICR), and convergence rate are quantitatively characterized with the auxiliary antenna array. It is obtained through analysis that the performances mutually restrict the auxiliary antenna array. Higher cancellation resolution requires larger array aperture, but when the number of auxiliary antennas is fixed, larger array aperture results in more grating nulls. When the auxiliary antennas are closer to the main antenna, the wideband ICR is improved, but the convergence rate is reduced. The conclusions are verified through simulation of one-dimensional uniform array and two-dimensional nonuniform array. The experiments of three arrays are compared, and the results conform well with simulation and support the theoretical analysis.

To address the issue of neglecting scenarios involving joint operations and collaborative drone swarm operations in air combat target intent recognition. This paper proposes a transfer learning-based intention prediction model for drone formation targets in air combat. This model recognizes the intentions of multiple aerial targets by extracting spatial features among the targets at each moment. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared to classical intention recognition models, the proposed model in this paper achieves higher accuracy in identifying the intentions of drone swarm targets in air combat scenarios.

To tackle the challenges of intractable parameter tuning, significant computational expenditure and imprecise model-driven sparse-based direction of arrival (DOA) estimation with array error (AE), this paper proposes a deep unfolded amplitude-phase error self-calibration network. Firstly, a sparse-based DOA model with an array convex error restriction is established, which gets resolved via an alternating iterative minimization (AIM) algorithm. The algorithm is then unrolled to a deep network known as AE-AIM Network (AE-AIM-Net), where all parameters are optimized through multi-task learning using the constructed complete dataset. The results of the simulation and theoretical analysis suggest that the proposed unfolded network achieves lower computational costs compared to typical sparse recovery methods. Furthermore, it maintains excellent estimation performance even in the presence of array magnitude-phase errors.

Model-based system-of-systems (SOS) engineering (MBSoSE) is becoming a promising solution for the design of SoS with increasing complexity. However, bridging the models from the design phase to the simulation phase poses significant challenges and requires an integrated approach. In this study, a unified requirement modeling approach is proposed based on unified architecture framework (UAF). Theoretical models are proposed which compose formalized descriptions from both top-down and bottom-up perspectives. Based on the description, the UAF profile is proposed to represent the SoS mission and constituent systems (CS) goal. Moreover, the agent-based simulation information is also described based on the overview, design concepts, and details (ODD) protocol as the complement part of the SoS profile, which can be transformed into different simulation platforms based on the eXtensible markup language (XML) technology and model-to-text method. In this way, the design of the SoS is simulated automatically in the early design stage. Finally, the method is implemented and an example is given to illustrate the whole process.

In this paper, we propose an improved YOLOv5-based object detection method for radar images, which have the characteristics of diffuse weak noise and imaging distortion. To mitigate the effects of noise without losing spatial information, an coordinate attention (CA) has been added to pre-extract the feature of the images, which can guarantee a better feature extraction ability. A new stochastic weighted average (SWA) method is designed to refine generalization ability of the algorithm, where the medium mean is used instead of their average value. By introducing an deformable convolution, both regular and irregular images can be proceeded. The experimental results show that the improved algorithm performs better in object detection of radar images compared with the YOLOv5 model, which confirms the effectiveness and feasibility of our model.

Performance-based warranties (PBWs) are widely used in industry and manufacturing. Given that PBW can impose financial burdens on manufacturers, rational maintenance decisions are essential for expanding profit margins. This paper proposes an optimization model for PBW decisions for systems affected by Gamma degradation processes, incorporating periodic inspection. A system performance degradation model is established. Preventive maintenance probability and corrective renewal probability models are developed to calculate expected warranty costs and system availability. A benefits function, which includes incentives, is constructed to optimize the initial and subsequent inspection intervals and preventive maintenance thresholds, thereby maximizing warranty profit. An improved sparrow search algorithm is developed to optimize the model, with a case study on large steam turbine rotor shafts. The results suggest the optimal PBW strategy involves an initial inspection interval of approximately 20 months, with subsequent intervals of about four months, and a preventive maintenance threshold of approximately 37.39 mm wear. When compared to common cost-minimization-based condition maintenance strategies and PBW strategies that do not differentiate between initial and subsequent inspection intervals, the proposed PBW strategy increases the manufacturer’s profit by 1% and 18%, respectively. Sensitivity analyses provide managerial recommendations for PBW implementation. The PBW strategy proposed in this study significantly increases manufacturers’ profits by optimizing inspection intervals and preventive maintenance thresholds, and manufacturers should focus on technological improvement in preventive maintenance and cost control to further enhance earnings.

A three-dimensional path-planning approach has been developed to coordinate multiple fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) while avoiding collisions. The hierarchical path-planning architecture that divides the path-planning process into two layers is proposed by designing the velocity-obstacle strategy for satisfying timeliness and effectiveness. The upper-level layer focuses on creating an efficient Dubins initial path considering the dynamic constraints of the fixed wing. Subsequently, the lower-level layer detects potential collisions and adjusts its flight paths to avoid collisions by using the three-dimensional velocity obstacle method, which describes the maneuvering space of collision avoidance as the intersection space of half space. To further handle the dynamic and collision-avoidance constraints, a priority mechanism is designed to ensure that the adjusted path is still feasible for fixed-wing UAVs. Simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Fog computing has emerged as an important technology which can improve the performance of computation-intensive and latency-critical communication networks. Nevertheless, the fog computing Internet-of-Things (IoT) systems are susceptible to malicious eavesdropping attacks during the information transmission, and this issue has not been adequately addressed. In this paper, we propose a physical-layer secure fog computing IoT system model, which is able to improve the physical layer security of fog computing IoT networks against the malicious eavesdropping of multiple eavesdroppers. The secrecy rate of the proposed model is analyzed, and the quantum galaxy–based search algorithm (QGSA) is proposed to solve the hybrid task scheduling and resource management problem of the network. The computational complexity and convergence of the proposed algorithm are analyzed. Simulation results validate the efficiency of the proposed model and reveal the influence of various environmental parameters on fog computing IoT networks. Moreover, the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid task scheduling and resource management scheme can effectively enhance secrecy performance across different communication scenarios.

When performing tasks, unmanned clusters often face a variety of strategy choices. One of the key issues in unmanned cluster tasks is the method through which to design autonomous collaboration and cooperative evolution mechanisms that allow for unmanned clusters to maximize their overall task effectiveness under the condition of strategic diversity. This paper analyzes these task requirements from three perspectives: the diversity of the decision space, information network construction, and the autonomous collaboration mechanism. Then, this paper proposes a method for solving the problem of strategy selection diversity under two network structures. Next, this paper presents a Moran-rule-based evolution dynamics model for unmanned cluster strategies and a vision-driven-mechanism-based evolution dynamics model for unmanned cluster strategy in the context of strategy selection diversity according to various unmanned cluster application scenarios. Finally, this paper provides a simulation analysis of the effects of relevant parameters such as the payoff factor and cluster size on cooperative evolution in autonomous cluster collaboration for the two types of models. On this basis, this paper presents advice for effectively addressing diverse choices in unmanned cluster tasks, thereby providing decision support for practical applications of unmanned cluster tasks.

The rapid evolution of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and autonomous capabilities has positioned UAV as promising last-mile delivery means. Vehicle and onboard UAV collaborative delivery is introduced as a novel delivery mode. Spatiotemporal collaboration, along with energy consumption with payload and wind conditions play important roles in delivery route planning. This paper introduces the traveling salesman problem with time window and onboard UAV (TSP-TWOUAV) and emphasizes the consideration of real-world scenarios, focusing on time collaboration and energy consumption with wind and payload. To address this, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is formulated to minimize the energy consumption costs of vehicle and UAV. Furthermore, an adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) algorithm is applied to identify high-quality solutions efficiently. The effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm is validated through numerical tests on real geographic instances and sensitivity analysis of key parameters is conducted.

With the rapid development of low-altitude economy and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployment technology, aerial-ground collaborative delivery (AGCD) is emerging as a novel mode of last-mile delivery, where the vehicle and its onboard UAVs are utilized efficiently. Vehicles not only provide delivery services to customers but also function as mobile warehouses and launch/recovery platforms for UAVs. This paper addresses the vehicle routing problem with UAVs considering time window and UAV multi-delivery (VRPU-TW&MD). A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed to minimize delivery costs while incorporating constraints related to UAV energy consumption. Subsequently, a micro-evolution augmented large neighborhood search (MEALNS) algorithm incorporating adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) and micro-evolution mechanism is proposed. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of both the model and algorithm in solving the VRPU-TW&MD. The impact of key parameters on delivery performance is explored by sensitivity analysis.