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Volume 2, Issue 3, ICCK Transactions on Intelligent Systematics
Volume 2, Issue 3, 2025
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ICCK Transactions on Intelligent Systematics, Volume 2, Issue 3, 2025: 149-159

Free to Read | Research Article | 11 July 2025
Multi-UAV Cooperative Task Allocation Based on Multi-strategy Clustering Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm
1 School of Electronic Information and Automation, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300100, China
* Corresponding Author: Hui Sun, [email protected]
Received: 27 March 2025, Accepted: 25 April 2025, Published: 11 July 2025  
Abstract
To address the issues of low solving efficiency and susceptibility to local optima in multi-unmanned aerial vehicle (multi-UAV) task allocation algorithms within urban areas, this study constructs a task allocation model aiming to minimize economic costs for material delivery and reduce the urgency of rescue task demands. A multi-strategy clustering ant colony optimization algorithm (KMACO) is proposed for solution. Specifically, the K-means clustering method is utilized to partition the number of rescue tasks assigned to each UAV. In the ant colony optimization algorithm, a pheromone update strategy and a random evolution strategy are introduced to guide population search directions, thereby enhancing solving efficiency and avoiding local optima. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm effectively reduces algorithm running time and operational economic costs while satisfying rescue task urgency requirements. Compared with conventional methods, KMACO shows superior performance in convergence speed and solution quality, thus providing an optimized decision-making framework for emergency rescue operations in complex urban environments.

Graphical Abstract
Multi-UAV Cooperative Task Allocation Based on Multi-strategy Clustering Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm

Keywords
UAV
task allocation
ant colony algorithm
K-means clustering

Data Availability Statement
Data will be made available on request.

Funding
This work was supported by Key Research and Development Program of Tianjin, China of funding agency under 22YFZCSN00210.

Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate
Not applicable.

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Cite This Article
APA Style
Wang, R., Shan, Y., Sun, L., & Sun, H. (2025). Multi-UAV Cooperative Task Allocation Based on Multi-strategy Clustering Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm. ICCK Transactions on Intelligent Systematics, 2(3), 149–159. https://doi.org/10.62762/TIS.2025.409447

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