# Multi-UAV Deployment in Obstacle-Cluttered Environments with LOS Connectivity

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21772 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.21772/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 29 Jul 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Arm2Air: Cross-Embodiment Skeleton Transfer for 3D Relay Formation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.27627/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

A reliable communication network is essential for multiple UAVs operating within obstacle-cluttered environments, where limited communication due to obstructions often occurs. A common solution is to deploy intermediate UAVs to relay information via a multi-hop network, which introduces two challenges: (i) how to design the structure of multihop networks; and (ii) how to maintain connectivity during collaborative motion. To this end, this work first proposes an efficient constrained search method based on the minimumedge RRT? algorithm, to find a spanning-tree topology that requires a less number of UAVs for the deployment task. Then, to achieve this deployment, a distributed model predictive control strategy is proposed for the online motion coordination. It explicitly incorporates not only the inter-UAV and UAVobstacle distance constraints, but also the line-of-sight (LOS) connectivity constraint. These constraints are well-known to be nonlinear and often tackled by various approximations. In contrast, this work provides a theoretical guarantee that all agent trajectories are ensured to be collision-free with a teamwise LOS connectivity at all time. Numerous simulations are performed in 3D valley-like environments, while hardware experiments validate its dynamic adaptation when the deployment position changes online.