CPE Master of Science Thesis Defense and ELEC Research Component of PhD Qualifier Exam by Junxing Ren

Thursday, July 31, 2025 at 3:00pm to 5:00pm

Topic: Reliability in Dynamic and Collaborative Drone-based Phased-Mission Systems

Abstract:

Unmanned vehicles, also known as drones, are revolutionizing a wide range of military and civilian applications. Reliability is a pivotal requirement for drone-based mission systems. However, existing reliability models are mostly applicable to single-drone or homogeneous multi-drone systems, limiting their applicability to complex, collaborative mission scenarios involving heterogeneous drones. This thesis research models a drone system performing multi-phase missions, engaging swarms of heterogeneous drones during different phases to accomplish distinct tasks. We propose analytical models to address the dynamics in time-to-failure distributions and configurations of drones across mission phases, as well as inter-phase dependencies. To further capture intra-phase collaborations, we develop a framework that integrates an integral-based Markov approach with a binary decision diagram-based method for reliability analysis of drone-based phased-mission systems with both fixed and random phase durations. To support practical mission planning, we also formulate and solve drone allocation problems, achieving a balance between mission reliability and total cost. In addition, cascading failures are modeled and incorporated in the mission reliability analysis, providing insights into their impact on overall system performance and mission success. 

Advisor(s):
Dr. Liudong Xing, Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, UMass Dartmouth

Committee members:
Dr. Lance Fiondella, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, UMass Dartmouth
Dr. Sezer Goren, Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, UMass Dartmouth

Note: All ECE Graduate Students are ENCOURAGED to attend. All interested parties are invited to attend. Open to the public.

*For further information, please contact Dr. Liudong Xing

Zoom info:
Meeting ID: 913 2915 7005 Passcode: 923965

Lester W. Cory Conference Room, Science & Engineering Building (SENG), Room 213A and virtual
Liudong Xing
508.999.8883
lxing@umassd.edu
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/91329157005