Metaheuristic-Driven Optimisation of Support Vector Regression Models for Precision Control in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems

Authors

  • Hamzah M. Marhoon Al-Nahrain University
  • Rasha Khalid Omar Scientific Research Commission
  • Hussein Al-Rammahi Altinbas University
  • Sarah O. Al-Tahir Al-Bayan University
  • Noorulden Basil Mustansiriyah University
  • Benmessaoud Mohammed Tarik University of Sciences and Technology of Oran
  • Takele Ferede Agajie Debre Markos University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12928/biste.v7i3.14251

Keywords:

UAV Control System, Hybrid Machine Learning Support, Adaptive Control, Swarm Intelligence, Flight Dynamics, Parameter Optimisation

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems are deployed in dynamic and uncertain environments where many traditional control structures, including Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) and Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controllers, are unable to provide stability and adaptation. In order to overcome these shortcomings, this work presents a hybrid Support Vector Regression (SVR) model optimised with the Eagle Strategy-Particle Swarm Optimisation (ES-PSO). The proposed framework is tested with high-fidelity simulated flight data on a quadcopter platform, in which throttle, pitch, roll and yaw are provided as control variables and altitude, velocity and orientation are provided as outputs. The ES-PSO algorithm is an algorithm that optimises the global and local hyperparameters of the SVR and makes it more effective at capturing nonlinear dynamics of the input-output process under both nominal and perturbed flight conditions. To compare with benchmarking, standalone SVR, Neural Networks, Decision Trees, Naive Bayes and K-Nearest Neighbour models were executed using the same simulation parameters with no metaheuristic optimisation, and it was made fair. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Mean Percentage Error (MPE) quantitative assessments illustrate that the ES-PSO-SVR model has the lowest error in prediction and the highest tracking accuracy compared to all baseline techniques. These results demonstrate how metaheuristic-based learning systems can be used to drive forward the creation of adaptive and intelligent UAV control systems that can perform effectively in challenging operational conditions.

References

N. Basil et al., "Performance analysis of hybrid optimization approach for UAV path planning control using FOPID-TID controller and HAOAROA algorithm," Sci. Rep., vol. 15, p. 4840, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86803-4.

A. Mustafa, M. I. Aal-Nouman, and O. A. Awad, "Cloud-based vehicle tracking system," Iraqi J. Inf. Commun. Technol., vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 21–30, 2019, https://doi.org/10.31987/ijict.2.4.81.

S. A. H. Mohsan, M. A. Khan, F. Noor, I. Ullah, and M. H. Alsharif, "Towards the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs): A comprehensive review," Drones, vol. 6, no. 6, p. 147, 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6060147.

G. Airlangga, "Advancing UAV path planning system: a software pattern language for dynamic environments," Bul. Ilm. Sarj. Tek. Elektro, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 475–497, 2023, https://doi.org/10.12928/biste.v5i4.9407.

G. Airlangga, "Enhancing UAV navigation in dynamic environments: a detailed integration of Fick's law algorithm for optimal pathfinding in complex terrains," Bul. Ilm. Sarj. Tek. Elektro, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 592–598, 2023, https://doi.org/10.12928/biste.v5i4.9697.

G. Ariante and G. Del Core, "Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs): Current state, emerging technologies, and future trends," Drones, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 59, 2025, https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9010059.

Imran and J. Li, "Overview of UAV technology: History and evolution," in UAV Aerodynamics and Crop Interaction, Smart Agriculture, vol. 13. Singapore: Springer, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-8402-1_1.

N. Basil et al., "Multi-criteria decision model for multicircular flight control of unmanned aerial vehicles through a hybrid approach," Sci. Rep., vol. 15, p. 18962, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01508-y.

Y. Alqudsi and M. Makaraci, "UAV swarms: research, challenges, and future directions," Journal of Engineering and Applied Science, vol. 72, no. 12, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-025-00582-3.

O. K. Pal et al., "In-depth review of AI-enabled unmanned aerial vehicles: trends, vision, and challenges," Discover Artificial Intelligence, vol. 4, p. 97, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-024-00209-1.

I. Dagal et al., "Adaptive fuzzy logic control framework for aircraft landing gear automation: optimized design, real-time response, and enhanced safety," International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences, vol. 26, pp. 2135–2163, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42405-025-00922-w.

N. Basil, B. M. Sabbar, H. M. Marhoon, A. F. Mohammed, and A. Ma'arif, "Systematic review of unmanned aerial vehicles control: Challenges, solutions, and meta-heuristic optimization," Int. J. Robot. Control Syst., vol. 4, no. 4, 2024, https://doi.org/10.31763/ijrcs.v4i4.1596.

N. Basil and H. M. Marhoon, "Correction to: selection and evaluation of FOPID criteria for the X-15 adaptive flight control system (AFCS) via Lyapunov candidates: Optimizing trade-offs and critical values using optimization algorithms," e-Prime–Adv. Electr. Eng., Electron. Energy, vol. 8, p. 100589, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prime.2024.100589.

N. Ramadhani, A. Ma'arif, and A. Çakan, "Implementation of PID control for angular position control of Dynamixel servo motor," Control Systems and Optimization Letters, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 8–14, 2024, https://doi.org/10.59247/csol.v2i1.40.

Y. Li, R. Lv, and J. Wang, "A control strategy for autonomous approaching and coordinated landing of UAV and USV," Drones, vol. 9, no. 7, p. 480, 2025, https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9070480.

W. Meng, X. Zhang, L. Zhou, H. Guo, and X. Hu, "Advances in UAV path planning: A comprehensive review of methods, challenges, and future directions," Drones, vol. 9, no. 5, p. 376, 2025, https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9050376.

R. Roy, M. Islam, N. Sadman, M. A. P. Mahmud, K. D. Gupta, and M. M. Ahsan, "A review on comparative remarks, performance evaluation and improvement strategies of quadrotor controllers," Technologies, vol. 9, no. 2, p. 37, 2021, https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies9020037.

I. S. Mangkunegara, P. Purwono, A. Ma’arif, N. Basil, H. M. Marhoon, and A. N. Sharkawy, "Transformer models in deep learning: Foundations, advances, challenges and future directions," Bul. Ilm. Sarj. Tek. Elektro, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 231–241, 2025, https://doi.org/10.12928/biste.v7i2.13053.

P. Shukla, S. Shukla and A. Kumar Singh, "Trajectory-Prediction Techniques for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): A Comprehensive Survey," in IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 1867-1910, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1109/COMST.2024.3471671.

L. A. Fagundes-Junior et al., "Machine Learning for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Navigation: An Overview," SN Computer Science, vol. 5, no. 256, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-023-02592-5.

Z. Shi, J. Zhang, G. Shi, L. Ji, D. Wang, and Y. Wu, "Design of a UAV Trajectory Prediction System Based on Multi-Flight Modes," Drones, vol. 8, no. 6, p. 255, 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8060255.

R. Rajendhiran and A. N, "Hybrid Model for Enhancing Fault Detection System in Nuclear Power Plant using Support Vector Machine and Multivariate State Estimation Techniques," 2025 5th International Conference on Trends in Material Science and Inventive Materials (ICTMIM), pp. 1449-1455, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1109/ICTMIM65579.2025.10988339.

K. Nazir, Y.-W. Kim, and Y.-C. Byun, "Predictive PID Control for Automated Guided Vehicles Using Genetic Algorithm and Machine Learning," IEEE Access, vol. 13, pp. 66726–66741, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3559072.

S. Y. Choi and D. Cha, "Unmanned aerial vehicles using machine learning for Autonomous Flight State-of-the-Art," Advanced Robotics, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 265–277, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1080/01691864.2019.1586760.

S. MahmoudZadeh, A. Yazdani, Y. Kalantari, B. Ciftler, F. Aidarus, and M. O. Al Kadri, "Holistic Review of UAV-Centric Situational Awareness: Applications, Limitations, and Algorithmic Challenges," Robotics, vol. 13, no. 8, p. 117, 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13080117.

I. Anam, N. Arafat, M. S. Hafiz, J. R. Jim, M. M. Kabir, and M. F. Mridha, "A systematic review of UAV and AI integration for targeted disease detection, weed management, and pest control in precision agriculture," Smart Agricultural Technology, vol. 9, p. 100647, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2024.100647.

N. B. Mohamadwasel and S. Kurnaz, “Implementation of the parallel robot using FOPID with fuzzy type-2 in use social spider optimization algorithm,” Appl. Nanosci., vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 1389–1399, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-021-02034-9.

S. Shobeiri, "Enhancing transparency in healthcare machine learning models using Shap and Deeplift: A methodological approach," Iraqi J. Inf. Commun. Technol., vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 56–72, 2024, https://doi.org/10.31987/ijict.7.2.285.

Z. Z. Edie, "Malware detection system based on deep learning technique," Iraqi J. Inf. Commun. Technol., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 33–44, 2021, https://doi.org/10.31987/ijict.1.1.177.

N. B. Mohamadwasel and A. Ma’arif, “NB Theory with Bargaining Problem: A New Theory,” Int. J. Robot. Control Syst., vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 606–609, Sep. 2022, https://doi.org/10.31763/ijrcs.v2i3.798.

N. Abbas et al., "Survey of advanced nonlinear control strategies for UAVs: Integration of sensors and hybrid techniques," Sensors, vol. 24, no. 11, p. 3286, 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/s24113286.

G. Airlangga, O. I. A. Nugroho, and L. F. Sugianto, "Comparative evaluation of machine learning models for UAV network performance identification in dynamic environments," Bul. Ilm. Sarj. Tek. Elektro, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 357–365, 2024, https://doi.org/10.12928/biste.v6i4.12409.

S. Zhang, H. Yu, B. Tian, X. Wang, W. Cui, L. Yang, J. Li, H. Gong, J. Zhao, L. Lu, J. Zhao, and Y. Lan, "Combining UAV multi-source remote sensing data with CPO-SVR to estimate seedling emergence in breeding sunflowers," Agronomy, vol. 14, no. 10, p. 2205, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14102205.

N. Basil et al., "Accelerated black hole optimization algorithm with enhanced FOPID controller for omni-wheel drive mobile robot system," Neural Comput. Appl., vol. 37, pp. 16983–17014, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-025-11310-6.

S. Selvarajan, "A comprehensive study on modern optimization techniques for engineering applications," Artif. Intell. Rev., vol. 57, p. 194, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10462-024-10829-9.

A. O. Alaa, "The optimum design of interval type-2 fuzzy controller for 5 DOF robotic manipulator," Iraqi J. Inf. Commun. Technol., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 36–51, 2018, https://doi.org/10.31987/ijict.1.1.10.

Z. S. Bakr, R. F. Hassan, S. O. Al-Tahir, N. Basil, A. Ma’arif, and H. M. Marhoon, "A comparative study of fuzzy logic controller, ANFIS, and HHOPSO algorithms in the LEACH protocol for optimising energy efficiency and network longevity in wireless sensor networks," Int. J. Robot. Control Syst., vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 1678–1700, 2025, https://doi.org/10.31763/ijrcs.v5i3.1918.

V. H. Nhu et al., "A hybrid computational intelligence approach for predicting soil shear strength for urban housing construction: A case study at Vinhomes Imperia project, Hai Phong city (Vietnam)," Eng. Comput., vol. 36, pp. 603–616, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00366-019-00718-z.

M. D. Phung and Q. P. Ha, "Motion-encoded particle swarm optimization for moving target search using UAVs," Appl. Soft Comput., vol. 97, p. 106705, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2020.106705.

X. Su, H. Jiang, T. Qin, and G. Lin, "Particle Swarm Optimization–Support Vector Regression (PSO-SVR)-Based Rapid Prediction Method for Radiant Heat Transfer for a Spacecraft Vacuum Thermal Test," Appl. Sci., vol. 14, no. 20, p. 9407, 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/app14209407.

S. Huang, L. Tian, J. Zhang, X. Chai, H. Wang, and H. Zhang, "Support Vector Regression Based on the Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Tight Oil Recovery Prediction," ACS Omega, vol. 6, no. 47, pp. 32142–32150, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c04923.

D. Li, X. Wang, J. Sun, and H. Yang, "AI-HydSu: An advanced hybrid approach using support vector regression and particle swarm optimization for dissolved oxygen forecasting," Math. Biosci. Eng., vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 3646–3666, 2021, https://doi.org/10.3934/mbe.2021182.

J. Tian, Z. Chen, L. Yuan, and H. Zhou, "Optimizing Outdoor Micro-Space Design for Prolonged Activity Duration: A Study Integrating Rough Set Theory and the PSO-SVR Algorithm," Buildings, vol. 14, no. 12, p. 3950, 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14123950.

A. Shankar, H. Kandath, and J. Senthilnath, "Acceleration-based PSO for Multi-UAV Source-Seeking," arXiv preprint arXiv:2109.11462, 2021, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2109.11462.

Y. Bao, Z. Hu, and T. Xiong, "A PSO and Pattern Search based Memetic Algorithm for SVMs Parameters Optimization," Neurocomputing, vol. 117, pp. 98–106, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neucom.2013.01.027.

V. T. Hoang, M. D. Phung, T. H. Dinh, Q. Zhu, and Q. P. Ha, "Reconfigurable Multi-UAV Formation Using Angle-Encoded PSO," in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Autom. Sci. Eng. (CASE), pp. 1670–1675, 2019, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1909.03352.

H. M. Marhoon, A. R. Ibrahim, and N. Basil, "Enhancement of electro hydraulic position servo control system utilising ant lion optimiser," Int. J. Nonlinear Anal. Appl., vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 2453–2461, 2021, https://doi.org/10.22075/ijnaa.2021.5387.

N. Basil, H. M. Marhoon, and A. F. Mohammed, "Evaluation of a 3-DOF helicopter dynamic control model using FOPID controller-based three optimization algorithms," Int. J. Inf. Technol., pp. 1-10, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41870-024-02373-0.

I. A. Hasan and O. A. Awad, "An optimized fuzzy logic controller for wireless network control system using PSO," Iraqi J. Inf. Commun. Technol., vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1–15, 2022, https://doi.org/10.31987/ijict.5.1.180.

H. M. Marhoon, N. Basil, and A. Ma’arif, “Exploring Blockchain Data Analysis and Its Communications Architecture: Achievements, Challenges, and Future Directions: A Review Article.,” Int. J. Robot. Control Syst., vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 609–626, 2023, https://doi.org/10.31763/ijrcs.v3i3.1100.

G. Airlangga, "Optimizing UAV navigation: A particle swarm optimization approach for path planning in 3D environments," Bul. Ilm. Sarj. Tek. Elektro, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 606–613, 2023, https://doi.org/10.12928/biste.v5i4.9696.

A. R. Ibrahim, N. Basil, and M. I. Mahdi, “Implementation enhancement of AVR control system within optimization techniques,” Int. J. Nonlinear Anal. Appl., vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 2021–2027, 2021, https://doi.org/10.22075/ijnaa.2021.5339.

X. Su, H. Jiang, T. Qin, and G. Lin, "Particle Swarm Optimization–Support Vector Regression (PSO-SVR)-Based Rapid Prediction Method for Radiant Heat Transfer for a Spacecraft Vacuum Thermal Test," Appl. Sci., vol. 14, no. 20, p. 9407, 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/app14209407.

H. M. Marhoon, N. Basil, and A. F. Mohammed, "Medical Defense Nanorobots (MDNRs): a new evaluation and selection of controller criteria for improved disease diagnosis and patient safety using NARMA(L2)-FOP + D(ANFIS)µ–Iλ-based Archimedes Optimization Algorithm," International Journal of Information Technology, vol. 17, pp. 3935–3945, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41870-023-01724-7.

D. Li, "AI-HydSu: An advanced hybrid approach using support vector regression and particle swarm optimization for dissolved oxygen forecasting," Math. Biosci. Eng., vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 3646–3666, 2021, https://doi.org/10.3934/mbe.2021182.

M. A. Sadi, A. Jamali, and A. M. N. Abang Kamaruddin, "Optimizing UAV performance in turbulent environments using cascaded model predictive control algorithm and Pixhawk hardware," J. Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng., vol. 47, p. 396, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-025-05693-9.

A. F. Mohammed, H. M. Marhoon, N. Basil, and A. Ma’arif, "A new hybrid intelligent fractional order proportional double derivative+ integral (FOPDD+I) controller with ANFIS simulated on automatic voltage regulator system," Int. J. Robot. Control Syst., vol. 4, no. 2, 2024, https://doi.org/10.31763/ijrcs.v4i2.1336.

H. S. Abdulkareem and O. A. Awad, "Fuzzy set-point weight for PID controller based on antlion optimizer to congestion avoidance in TCP/AQM routers," Iraqi J. Inf. Commun. Technol., vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 1–10, 2019, https://doi.org/10.31987/ijict.2.4.73.

Z. Ma, T. Hu, and L. Shen, "Stereo vision guiding for the autonomous landing of fixed-wing UAVs: A saliency-inspired approach," Int. J. Adv. Robot. Syst., vol. 13, no. 2, p. 43, 2016, https://doi.org/10.5772/62257.

M. Z. Al-Faiz and A. A. Al-Hamadani, "Analysis and implementation of brain waves feature extraction and classification to control robotic hand," Iraqi J. Inf. Commun. Technol., vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 31–41, 2018, https://doi.org/10.31987/ijict.1.3.35.

A. Jalili et al., "Performance of various kernel functions for mass prediction with support vector machine," Eur. Phys. J. A, vol. 61, p. 143, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-025-01610-9.

Downloads

Published

2025-10-07

How to Cite

[1]
H. M. Marhoon, “Metaheuristic-Driven Optimisation of Support Vector Regression Models for Precision Control in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems”, Buletin Ilmiah Sarjana Teknik Elektro, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 608–624, Oct. 2025.

Issue

Section

Article

Most read articles by the same author(s)