{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7214101789","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3734747","title":"A Review of Multi-Agent Coordination Strategies for Multi-Role UAV Swarms in Search and Rescue","display_name":"A Review of Multi-Agent Coordination Strategies for Multi-Role UAV Swarms in Search and Rescue","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7214101789","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3734747"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2026.3734747","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3734747","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3734747","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2485537415","display_name":"IEEE Access","issn_l":"2169-3536","issn":["2169-3536"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-scientific","cwts-core","doaj","jufo-1","ki-jl-1","norway-1","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","doaj"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3734747","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5120240487","display_name":"Pramuditha Vithanaarachchi","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3189-4825","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3189-4825"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I6358929","display_name":"Informatics Institute of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/02366kp40","country_code":"LK","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I6358929"]}],"countries":["LK"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Pramuditha Vithanaarachchi","raw_affiliation_strings":["Informatics Institute of Technology"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3189-4825","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Informatics Institute of Technology","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I6358929"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5146908628","display_name":"Janith Prabhanuka","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4438-6026","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4438-6026"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I6358929","display_name":"Informatics Institute of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/02366kp40","country_code":"LK","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I6358929"]}],"countries":["LK"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Janith Prabhanuka","raw_affiliation_strings":["Informatics Institute of Technology"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4438-6026","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Informatics Institute of Technology","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I6358929"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5060672532","display_name":"Nipuna Senanayake","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8651-3052","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8651-3052","https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0233-4461"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I6358929","display_name":"Informatics Institute of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/02366kp40","country_code":"LK","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I6358929"]}],"countries":["LK"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Nipuna Senanayake","raw_affiliation_strings":["Informatics Institute of Technology"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8651-3052","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Informatics Institute of Technology","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I6358929"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5026587276","display_name":"Rashmi Ratnayake","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0145-0866","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0145-0866"]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Rashmi Ratnayake","raw_affiliation_strings":["University College"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0145-0866","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University College","institution_ids":[]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":{"value":2075,"currency":"USD","value_usd":2075},"apc_paid":{"value":2075,"currency":"USD","value_usd":2075},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.77547873,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"14","issue":null,"first_page":"144643","last_page":"144679"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10249","display_name":"Distributed Control Multi-Agent Systems","score":0.9824000000953674,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10249","display_name":"Distributed Control Multi-Agent Systems","score":0.9824000000953674,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12784","display_name":"Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence","score":0.00800000037997961,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2210","display_name":"Mechanical Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11133","display_name":"UAV Applications and Optimization","score":0.0044999998062849045,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2202","display_name":"Aerospace Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/multiagent-coordination","display_name":"multi-agent coordination","score":0.9860000014305115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/swarm-robotics","display_name":"swarm robotics","score":0.7070000171661377},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/unmanned-aerial-vehicles","display_name":"unmanned aerial vehicles","score":0.9229999780654907},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/search-and-rescue","display_name":"search and rescue","score":0.9589999914169312}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6960999965667725},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2775935494","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q741964","display_name":"Search and rescue","level":3,"score":0.5424000024795532},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C145424490","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q618465","display_name":"Remotely operated underwater vehicle","level":4,"score":0.3743000030517578},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C59519942","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q650665","display_name":"Drone","level":2,"score":0.3603000044822693},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C79403827","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3988","display_name":"Real-time computing","level":1,"score":0.30880001187324524},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C32283439","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1407014","display_name":"Radar tracker","level":3,"score":0.30079999566078186},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26517878","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q228039","display_name":"Key (lock)","level":2,"score":0.29589998722076416},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C38652104","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3510521","display_name":"Computer security","level":1,"score":0.28049999475479126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C9652623","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190109","display_name":"Field (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.25360000133514404},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780864053","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5147495","display_name":"Collision avoidance","level":3,"score":0.24160000681877136}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2026.3734747","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3734747","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3734747","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2485537415","display_name":"IEEE Access","issn_l":"2169-3536","issn":["2169-3536"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-scientific","cwts-core","doaj","jufo-1","ki-jl-1","norway-1","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:doaj.org/article:327f87a2b4b24e5d9849d15b4968c887","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doaj.org/article/327f87a2b4b24e5d9849d15b4968c887","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401280","display_name":"DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access, Vol 14, Pp 144643-144679 (2026)","raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2026.3734747","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3734747","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3734747","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2485537415","display_name":"IEEE Access","issn_l":"2169-3536","issn":["2169-3536"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-scientific","cwts-core","doaj","jufo-1","ki-jl-1","norway-1","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"sustainable_development_goals_aurora":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":80,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W659610042","https://openalex.org/W1471578414","https://openalex.org/W1991699460","https://openalex.org/W2042791267","https://openalex.org/W2059529072","https://openalex.org/W2110303503","https://openalex.org/W2157488300","https://openalex.org/W2470644560","https://openalex.org/W2600680942","https://openalex.org/W2766606353","https://openalex.org/W2771049383","https://openalex.org/W2774172335","https://openalex.org/W2896835129","https://openalex.org/W2902806690","https://openalex.org/W2902857859","https://openalex.org/W2936516903","https://openalex.org/W2944170662","https://openalex.org/W2945296997","https://openalex.org/W2950688771","https://openalex.org/W2960979820","https://openalex.org/W2982537833","https://openalex.org/W3008086828","https://openalex.org/W3013247350","https://openalex.org/W3030646154","https://openalex.org/W3030859533","https://openalex.org/W3047901239","https://openalex.org/W3048651570","https://openalex.org/W3091778231","https://openalex.org/W3092163236","https://openalex.org/W3101185038","https://openalex.org/W3160854990","https://openalex.org/W3161602692","https://openalex.org/W3175588827","https://openalex.org/W3187426077","https://openalex.org/W3194291390","https://openalex.org/W3207513265","https://openalex.org/W3210748693","https://openalex.org/W3213178734","https://openalex.org/W4221019573","https://openalex.org/W4226261736","https://openalex.org/W4230718563","https://openalex.org/W4286751279","https://openalex.org/W4289821918","https://openalex.org/W4291653513","https://openalex.org/W4303423586","https://openalex.org/W4303981135","https://openalex.org/W4307647390","https://openalex.org/W4311513675","https://openalex.org/W4311858229","https://openalex.org/W4312479610","https://openalex.org/W4313244990","https://openalex.org/W4313245126","https://openalex.org/W4319837842","https://openalex.org/W4321254709","https://openalex.org/W4321608239","https://openalex.org/W4361298708","https://openalex.org/W4361988464","https://openalex.org/W4367663420","https://openalex.org/W4367665998","https://openalex.org/W4376130767","https://openalex.org/W4383218725","https://openalex.org/W4386102154","https://openalex.org/W4387045345","https://openalex.org/W4389538543","https://openalex.org/W4390006973","https://openalex.org/W4391697032","https://openalex.org/W4392973822","https://openalex.org/W4399039614","https://openalex.org/W4400973114","https://openalex.org/W4401357330","https://openalex.org/W4401806049","https://openalex.org/W4403063186","https://openalex.org/W4403334877","https://openalex.org/W4403398416","https://openalex.org/W4407226545","https://openalex.org/W4408309092","https://openalex.org/W4409506305","https://openalex.org/W4412030377","https://openalex.org/W4413416444","https://openalex.org/W4414356634"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Unmanned":[0],"aerial":[1],"vehicle":[2],"(UAV)":[3],"swarms":[4,99],"are":[5,121],"increasingly":[6],"investigated":[7],"for":[8,96],"search":[9],"and":[10,20,41,55,75,89,112,116,134,167,187],"rescue":[11],"(SAR)":[12],"operations":[13],"to":[14,35,44,84,86,180],"improve":[15],"coverage,":[16],"reduce":[17],"response":[18],"time,":[19],"enhance":[21],"robustness":[22],"in":[23,100,172],"complex,":[24],"time-critical":[25],"environments.":[26],"However,":[27],"effective":[28],"coordination":[29,50,61,94,163],"remains":[30,63],"a":[31,53,125],"fundamental":[32],"challenge":[33],"due":[34],"communication":[36,131,165],"constraints,":[37],"dynamic":[38],"task":[39],"requirements,":[40,159],"the":[42,182],"need":[43],"support":[45],"heterogeneous":[46],"roles.":[47],"While":[48],"many":[49],"strategies":[51,95,144],"exist,":[52],"unified":[54],"SAR-focused":[56],"comparative":[57],"understanding":[58],"of":[59,184],"multi-agent":[60],"paradigms":[62,120],"limited.":[64],"This":[65,175],"review":[66,176],"analyzes":[67],"82":[68],"research":[69],"studies,":[70],"primarily":[71],"published":[72,82],"between":[73,162],"2015":[74,85],"2025,":[76],"while":[77],"incorporating":[78],"selected":[79],"foundational":[80],"works":[81],"prior":[83],"provide":[87],"theoretical":[88,143],"historical":[90],"context,":[91],"focusing":[92],"on":[93],"multi-role":[97],"UAV":[98],"SAR":[101,139,158,190],"scenarios.":[102],"A":[103],"structured":[104,178],"taxonomy":[105],"is":[106],"developed,":[107],"covering":[108],"swarm":[109],"intelligence-based,":[110],"consensus":[111],"graph-theoretic,":[113],"market-based,":[114],"learning-based,":[115],"hybrid":[117,173],"approaches.":[118,174],"These":[119],"systematically":[122],"evaluated":[123],"using":[124],"coordination-centric":[126],"framework":[127],"considering":[128],"scalability,":[129],"robustness,":[130],"dependency,":[132],"adaptability,":[133,168],"heterogeneity":[135],"support.":[136],"An":[137],"illustrative":[138],"case":[140],"study":[141],"connects":[142],"with":[145],"practical":[146],"system":[147],"behavior.":[148],"The":[149],"analysis":[150],"shows":[151],"that":[152],"no":[153],"single":[154],"paradigm":[155],"fully":[156],"satisfies":[157],"highlighting":[160],"trade-offs":[161],"efficiency,":[164],"overhead,":[166],"alongside":[169],"growing":[170],"interest":[171],"provides":[177],"insights":[179],"guide":[181],"design":[183],"scalable,":[185],"robust,":[186],"adaptive":[188],"multi-UAV":[189],"systems.":[191]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-10-11T09:32:39.932853","created_date":"2026-09-24T00:00:00"}