Authors :
Rahul Singh; Satish Kumbhar
Volume/Issue :
Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 5 - May
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/y5wn6uph
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25may896
Google Scholar
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Abstract :
This study presents an exploration into the use of Reinforcement Learning (RL), specifically Deep Q-Networks
(DQN), for autonomous drone navigation within complex, obstacle-rich environments. Utilizing Microsoft’s AirSim
simulator and an open-source DRL integration framework (AirsimDRL), the research trains a drone to intelligently reach
target destinations while avoiding collisions. The agent interacts with a dynamic simulated world, learning optimal control
strategies from scratch. The study aims to bridge the gap between traditional UAV path planning and intelligent, learning-
based navigation systems, laying the foundation for real-world autonomous drone applications.
Keywords :
Reinforcement Learning (RL), Deep Q-Network (DQN), Autonomous Drone Navigation, AirSim Simulator, UAV, Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL), Obstacle Avoidance, Smart Mobility, AI-based Navigation, Flight Path Optimization.
References :
- Sunghoon Hong. AirsimDRL. GitHub Repository: https://github.com/sunghoonhong/AirsimDRL
- Microsoft AirSim Documentation. https://microsoft.github.io/AirSim
- Mnih, V., et al. (2015). Human-level control through deep reinforcement learning. Nature, 518, 529–533.
- Lillicrap, T., et al. (2015). Continuous control with deep reinforcement learning. arXiv:1509.02971
- OpenAI Spinning Up. An Educational Resource on RL. https://spinningup.openai.com
- Mnih, V., Kavukcuoglu, K., Silver, D., et al. (2015). Human-level control through deep reinforcement learning. Nature, 518(7540), 529–533. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14236
- Lillicrap, T.P., Hunt, J.J., Pritzel, A., et al. (2016). Continuous control with deep reinforcement learning. arXiv preprint, arXiv:1509.02971. https://arxiv.org/abs/1509.02971
- Shah, S., Dey, D., Lovett, C., Kapoor, A. (2017). AirSim: High-Fidelity Visual and Physical Simulation for Autonomous Vehicles. Field and Service Robotics (FSR). https://github.com/microsoft/AirSim
- Zhang, W., Liu, H., Chen, Y., et al. (2023). RL-based obstacle avoidance for UAVs in urban environments.
Journal of Aerial Robotics, 12(1), 34–45. Sutton, R.S., & Barto, A.G. (2018). Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction (2nd Edition). MIT Press. http://incompleteideas.net/book/the-book-2nd.html
- Zhu, H., Liu, J., & Zhao, Y. (2022). Reinforcement Learning with Model Predictive Control for Autonomous Navigation. In Proc. of IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC). Chen, M., Zhao, L., & Zhou, R. (2024). Using transfer learning to improve data efficiency in RL for UAVs. Journal of Intelligent Robotic Systems, 110(4), 567–580.
- OpenAI. (2023). Spinning Up in Deep RL. A beginner-friendly introduction to deep reinforcement learning.
https://spinningup.openai.com
- Hong, S. (2022). AirsimDRL: Deep Reinforcement Learning in AirSim.
GitHub Repository. https://github.com/sunghoonhong/AirsimDRL
- Kumar, K.R.P., Bhaskar, S.N.R., & Rao, A.B.V. (2023). A comprehensive review of reinforcement learning in robotics: Trends and future directions. Journal of Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 123, 50–62.
- Abbeel, P., & Levine, S. (2016). Deep reinforcement learning in robotics. Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems.
- Mahmood, A. R., Korenkevych, D., Komer, B., & Bergstra, J. (2018). Benchmarking reinforcement learning algorithms on real-world robots. Conference on Robot Learning (CoRL).
- Hester, T., Vecerik, M., Pietquin, O., et al. (2018). Deep Q-learning from Demonstrations. AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence.
- Sutton, R.S., & Barto, A.G. (2018). Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction. MIT Press.
This study presents an exploration into the use of Reinforcement Learning (RL), specifically Deep Q-Networks
(DQN), for autonomous drone navigation within complex, obstacle-rich environments. Utilizing Microsoft’s AirSim
simulator and an open-source DRL integration framework (AirsimDRL), the research trains a drone to intelligently reach
target destinations while avoiding collisions. The agent interacts with a dynamic simulated world, learning optimal control
strategies from scratch. The study aims to bridge the gap between traditional UAV path planning and intelligent, learning-
based navigation systems, laying the foundation for real-world autonomous drone applications.
Keywords :
Reinforcement Learning (RL), Deep Q-Network (DQN), Autonomous Drone Navigation, AirSim Simulator, UAV, Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL), Obstacle Avoidance, Smart Mobility, AI-based Navigation, Flight Path Optimization.