{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T18:20:52Z","timestamp":1773944452148,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,16]],"date-time":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1647388800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000780","name":"European Commission","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["833507"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["833507"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000780","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100006541","name":"Comunidad de Madrid","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["IND2020\/IND-17478"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IND2020\/IND-17478"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100006541","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper deals with the problems and the solutions of fast coverage path planning (CPP) for multiple UAVs. Through this research, the problem is solved and analyzed with both a software framework and algorithm. The implemented algorithm generates a back-and-forth path based on the onboard sensor footprint. In addition, three methods are proposed for the individual path assignment: simple bin packing trajectory planner (SIMPLE-BINPAT); bin packing trajectory planner (BINPAT); and Powell optimized bin packing trajectory planner (POWELL-BINPAT). The three methods use heuristic algorithms, linear sum assignment, and minimization techniques to optimize the planning task. Furthermore, this approach is implemented with applicable software to be easily used by first responders such as police and firefighters. In addition, simulation and real-world experiments were performed using UAVs with RGB and thermal cameras. The results show that POWELL-BINPAT generates optimal UAV paths to complete the entire mission in minimum time. Furthermore, the computation time for the trajectory generation task decreases compared to other techniques in the literature. This research is part of a real project funded by the H2020 FASTER Project, with grant ID: 833507.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s22062297","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,16]],"date-time":"2022-03-16T22:15:04Z","timestamp":1647468904000},"page":"2297","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":62,"title":["Fast Multi-UAV Path Planning for Optimal Area Coverage in Aerial Sensing Applications"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1036-7538","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco Andr\u00e9s","family":"Luna","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Vision and Aerial Robotics Group, Centre for Automation and Robotics, Universidad Polit\u00e9cnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Drone-Hopper Company, 28919 Legan\u00e9s, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8773-7184","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammad Sadeq","family":"Ale Isaac","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Vision and Aerial Robotics Group, Centre for Automation and Robotics, Universidad Polit\u00e9cnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Drone-Hopper Company, 28919 Legan\u00e9s, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6897-6048","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed Refaat","family":"Ragab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drone-Hopper Company, 28919 Legan\u00e9s, Spain"},{"name":"Network Department, Faculty of Information Systems and Computer Science, October 6 University, Giza 12511, Egypt"},{"name":"Department of Electrical Engineering, University Carlos III of Madrid, 28919 Legan\u00e9s, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9894-2009","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pascual","family":"Campoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Vision and Aerial Robotics Group, Centre for Automation and Robotics, Universidad Polit\u00e9cnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}]},{"given":"Pablo","family":"Flores Pe\u00f1a","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drone-Hopper Company, 28919 Legan\u00e9s, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7145-1974","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martin","family":"Molina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Artificial Intelligence, Universidad Polit\u00e9cnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"148","DOI":"10.3991\/ijoe.v17i09.25205","article-title":"WILD HOPPER Prototype for Forest Firefighting","volume":"17","author":"Ragab","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. 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