Efficient Operation Algorithm of UAVs for Tourist Safety: Case of the Hallasan Mountain Trail in Jeju Island

Abstract

Tourist safety is one of the most important factors for tourists when choosing a tourism destination. Jeju Island’s Hallasan Mountain Trail is a trail that connects the mid-slope of Hallasan, the main mountain on Jeju volcanic island, and boasts very beautiful scenery. However, tourist safety has become an issue as accidents continue to occur every year. In this study, an efficient operation algorithm that can minimize the total cost with a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed, considering the introduction of a UAV patrol system on the Hallasan Mountain Trail, which is difficult to access by vehicles. The application of different speeds for patrol and nonpatrol routes, the selection of candidate sites for UAV stations with easy vehicle access, and the sensitivity analysis of patrol speed and maximum operation time considering the performance improvement of UAVs are the contributions of this study. The results show that stations are installed as close as possible to the trail courses and that lower-performance UAVs are utilized that can patrol the trail courses at a given time. The sensitivity analysis also confirmed that the total cost can be minimized by reducing the number of stations and UAVs or replacing higher-performance UAVs with lower-performance UAVs.