Set the field size and the launch side before choosing a sweep pattern.
UAV Coverage Path Planning
Plan aerial survey routes by balancing footprint, overlap, route shape, wind, no-fly zones, and battery reserve.
animation
uav
coverage
path-planning
aerial-survey
architecture
interactive
Interactive UAV coverage path planning lab showing lawnmower, spiral, and sector survey routes with live footprint, overlap, pass count, image cadence, distance, wind, and battery feasibility calculations.
UAV mission planning
Coverage path
Interactive lab
Plan the route, not just the drone path
Coverage planning links the aircraft route to the camera footprint. Change the altitude, overlap, mission pattern, wind, and no-fly zone to see when a survey remains feasible and when it needs a different route or another battery.
Pass count
--
parallel survey tracks
Track spacing
--
from footprint and side overlap
Energy time
--
includes wind and launch allowance
Battery reserve
--
after return buffer
UAV Coverage Path Workbench
Mission map
Boundary and footprint checks are ready.
Lawnmower
Feasible
survey area
camera swath
planned path
no-fly zone
Segment: ready
Coverage target: --
Constraint: --
Altitude and camera FOV determine how wide each photo swath is.
Side overlap shrinks spacing between adjacent tracks.
The pattern and no-fly zone change distance and turn cost.
Wind and return buffer decide whether the route is flyable.
Planner controls
Choose a scenario, then tune the geometry and constraints.
Core idea
The route only covers the ground if adjacent camera swaths overlap. The path line and the sensor footprint must be planned together.
What moves
The drone token advances through the generated waypoints while the active planning stage highlights the constraint being checked.
Tradeoff
Higher altitude widens the footprint and reduces pass count, but it also reduces image detail for a fixed camera.
Feasibility gate
A route that covers the area can still fail because of wind, no-fly detours, photo cadence, or insufficient return reserve.
Camera footprint
--
horizontal x vertical ground view
Route distance
--
includes path turns and detours
Photo cadence
--
-- images
Approx detail
--
example mapping camera proxy
Planner diagnosis
Live formula trace
Waiting for planner values.
Technical accuracy notes
- Camera footprint uses a pinhole geometry teaching model: footprint width equals 2 times altitude times tangent of half the field of view.
- Side overlap controls spacing between adjacent passes; forward overlap controls distance between photos along a pass.
- Battery feasibility is an estimate, not a certified flight envelope. Real plans must include aircraft mass, climb, reserve policy, airspace, and weather limits.
- Coverage is not the same as connectivity. A route can cover a field while losing telemetry or command link at the far edge.
Formulas and units
footprint_width_m = 2 x altitude_m x tan(horizontal_FOV_deg / 2)track_spacing_m = footprint_width_m x (1 - side_overlap_fraction)passes = ceil(field_width_m / track_spacing_m)for the rectangular lawnmower teaching model.photo_spacing_m = footprint_length_m x (1 - forward_overlap_fraction)energy_minutes = flight_minutes x wind_multiplier + launch_landing_allowance
Design lessons
- Use lawnmower routes for rectangular full-coverage surveys because passes are predictable and easy to stitch.
- Use spiral or sector routes when search probability, a central point, or rapid first coverage matters more than uniform photogrammetry.
- Recalculate footprint every time altitude changes. Reusing a spacing from another altitude creates unexpected gaps or redundant passes.
- Keep a return buffer. The farthest planned waypoint is not always the worst battery case after wind and detours are added.
Practice prompts
- Set altitude to 40 m and then to 140 m. Explain why the pass count changes and what image-detail tradeoff you introduced.
- Enable the no-fly zone in the solar inspection preset. Identify which metric changes first and why.
- Increase wind until the mission becomes marginal. Decide whether altitude, speed, overlap, or battery swap is the best fix.
- Compare lawnmower and spiral for the same field. Which one gives a route that is easier to validate for complete coverage?