Definition and optimization of a parameterized, high-level design for a border patrol system featuring autonomous, unmanned aerial vehicles

The Border Patrol System is a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) patrolling a border segment. This thesis presents a parameterized design model for the border patrol system that features autonomous UAVs. Parts of the large-scale system geometry and the small-scale sizing of UAVs are parameterized. Several parameters harmonize the large- and small-scale models, such as UAV communication radius, range, and minimum turn radius. Many parameters are related by logical constraints. By assigning values to all the parameters that do not violate any logical constraints and that satisfy the assumptions of the models, the engineer creates a design "candidate". Given the two harmonized models, the engineer calculates the large-scale performance and cost of the design candidate.;We defined a utility function that seeks to maximize design candidate performance while minimizing design candidate costs. We searched for optimal combinations of parameters values that maximize the value of the utility function. We evaluated 729 design candidates. We validated that the optimal design candidates made good engineering sense and the far suboptimal design candidates made little engineering sense.