Mission planning in networked drone systems

5G promises the rise of the “tactile Internet.” Wireless networking with delays in the order of milliseconds will enable the exchange of real-time information. This will be essential to remotely control robots and coordinate self-driving vehicles, to give two examples. 5G will also be needed for the emerging technology of networked drones, where multiple small aerial vehicles may sense the environment or transport goods from one place to another. To successfully complete a complex mission, drones need to plan their actions together. This 75-minute lecture will give an overview of mission planning in drone systems and then focus on a decision-theoretic framework for the planning of cooperative drones under different wireless connectivity conditions.