Trajectory Planning and Energy Consumption Evaluation Model of UAVs in Plateau and Mountainous Areas

To address the challenges of trajectory planning and energy evaluation for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in plateau mountainous terrains, a three-dimensional path planning and battery capacity evaluation method is proposed. High-resolution digital elevation data are applied to construct a 3D terrain model, incorporating constraints such as flight range, altitude, and path accuracy. A weighted optimization function with objectives of minimizing path length, altitude variation, and deflection angle is designed to build a UAV trajectory planning model that reflects terrain undulation. Deviations between spatial straight-line paths and actual flight trajectories are corrected, and the effects of lateral distance flight and vertical altitude ascent on unit energy consumption are quantified. Based on this, a UAV battery capacity evaluation model is constructed to support energy analysis. An application is carried out in Jidi Village, Jiantang Town, Shangri-La City, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, where flight paths between a matsutake trading market and fifteen collection sites are evaluated. Results indicate that the corrected flight paths are 264—724 m longer than straight line paths, with an average correction of 438 m and an average correction rate of 7.64%. Energy consumption for single-point one-way tasks ranges from 28% and 58%, revealing task expansion potential. Among all flight routes, 38 potentially high-energy-risk routes and 4 significant high-risk routes are identified. Strategies including low-energy alternative routes, efficient UAV selection, and mid-route supply stations are found effective to reduce energy risks and enhance the feasibility of UAV transportation in plateau mountainous environments.