A Task Allocation Strategy for UAV Ad-hoc Networks Based on Deep
Q-Networks and Genetic Algorithms
Abstract
As the number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and computational tasks
increases in UAV Ad-hoc Network (UAVANETs), the solution space for task
allocation strategies grows exponentially. In practical multi-user
concurrent emergency scenarios, multi-UAV systems equipped with mobile
edge computing (MEC) devices face challenges such as dynamic network
topologies and uneven task allocation. To address these issues, we
propose an adaptive task allocation strategy, AUSTA-DQHO, which
integrates the deep Q-network (DQN) algorithm with genetic algorithms.
In our approach, the random action selection process in DQN is replaced
with a genetic mechanism, enabling more efficient decision-making for
the optimal task allocation for each offloading request through
iterative optimization. Under the multi-UAV-assisted MEC network
architecture, AUSTA-DQHO optimizes computational task scheduling to
minimize the total mission time, from the UAVs’ departure from the base
station to the completion of all tasks. To accelerate the convergence of
the AUSTA-DQHO strategy while ensuring global optimal solutions, we
introduce a pre-clustering mechanism and weighting factor for randomly
generated task offloading requests in the target area, effectively
reducing the solution space. Experimental results demonstrate that
AUSTA-DQHO outperforms traditional DQN-based strategies in terms of
faster learning capabilities and greater robustness. Furthermore, we
explore the optimal number of UAVs under specific environmental
conditions to minimize the waste of computational resources.