Highlights
What are the main findings?
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For any given initial positions of UAVs, the deployment of virtual anchor points (VAPs) and the selection of search directions jointly determine the mission duration required for full coverage search.
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In dual-UAV scenarios, simulation optimization results closely align with the theoretical optimal solutions derived from logarithmic spiral geometry, showing highly consistent convergence trajectories; in multi-UAV scenarios (three or more UAVs), the proposed genetic optimization-based joint strategy method outperforms comparison algorithms in achieving faster target path coverage and improving cumulative detection probability.