Mathematical Modeling of Optimal Drone Flight Trajectories for Enhanced Object Detection in Video Streams Using Kolmogorov–Arnold Networks

This study addresses the critical challenge of optimizing drone flight parameters for enhanced object detection in video streams. While most research focuses on improving detection algorithms, the relationship between flight parameters and detection performance remains poorly understood. We present a novel approach using Kolmogorov–Arnold Networks (KANs) to model complex, non-linear relationships between altitude, pitch angle, speed, and object detection performance. Our main contributions include the following: (1) the systematic analysis of flight parameters’ effects on detection performance using the AU-AIR dataset, (2) development of a KAN-based mathematical model achieving R2 = 0.99, (3) identification of optimal flight parameters through multi-start optimization, and (4) creation of a flexible implementation framework adaptable to different UAV platforms. Sensitivity analysis confirms the solution’s robustness with only 7.3% performance degradation under ±10% parameter variations. This research bridges flight operations and detection algorithms, offering practical guidelines that enhance the detection capability by optimizing image acquisition rather than modifying detection algorithms.