Risk-Aware UAV Trajectory Optimization Using Open Urban GIS Data and Target Level of Safety Constraints
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) into urban airspace requires a risk-aware approach to strategic flight planning and trajectory optimization, particularly for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Existing regulatory frameworks impose strict restrictions and lack dynamic, trajectory-based risk assessments. This study presents a methodology to compute efficient UAV flight paths that comply with a predefined Target Level of Safety (TLS) for ground risk. An A* algorithm with an adaptive, risk-weighted cost function optimizes trajectories by balancing flight efficiency and ground risk exposure. The risk
model incorporates key urban factors, including population exposure, road-traffic density and flow, sheltering effects, UAV-specific parameters, and wind conditions. The approach is validated through a large-scale simulation study using synthetic urban environments, systematically analyzing TLS compliance and the impact of UAV parameters on optimal trajectories. In a real-world case study using open urban GIS data, the method achieved a 72.2% reduction in induced ground risk compared to the direct path, while increasing the detour factor only to 1.06 and maintaining full TLS compliance, demonstrating its practical relevance for strategic, risk-aware UAV flight planning
model incorporates key urban factors, including population exposure, road-traffic density and flow, sheltering effects, UAV-specific parameters, and wind conditions. The approach is validated through a large-scale simulation study using synthetic urban environments, systematically analyzing TLS compliance and the impact of UAV parameters on optimal trajectories. In a real-world case study using open urban GIS data, the method achieved a 72.2% reduction in induced ground risk compared to the direct path, while increasing the detour factor only to 1.06 and maintaining full TLS compliance, demonstrating its practical relevance for strategic, risk-aware UAV flight planning
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 666 |
| Number of pages | 32 |
| Journal | Drones |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| Early online date | 23 Sept 2025 |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2025 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| ORCID | /0009-0008-9640-3248/work/193177529 |
|---|---|
| ORCID | /0000-0002-1118-3047/work/193178259 |
| Scopus | 105020012748 |
Keywords
Research priority areas of TU Dresden
Keywords
- Target Level of Safety (TLS), ground risk assessment, safety, A* algorithm, urban airspace, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), trajectory optimization, Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS)