Integrated rough set-based BWM-COPRAS approach for electro-optic system selection in unmanned aerial vehicles

There is an increasing need for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) today. UAVs, which have a wide range of area of use, has become a frequently used technology due to their various benefits. However, weight is a crucial concern in unmanned aerial vehicles. Since the amount of load that can be carried is limited, the payloads that can be loaded onto unmanned aerial vehicles are also subject to these limits. That is why payloads should be considered meticulously by the needs before installation. Electro-optic systems are one of the most essential payloads on UAVs. Electro-optic systems, which provide various benefits such as simultaneous image transfer, help the military immensely with intelligence, exploration, monitoring, and targeting. Electro-optic system models are abundant today. That is why choosing which model to use on UAVs has become an area of concern. In addition, determining crucial criteria and criteria requiring improvement has become a subject of interest and focus for companies. The problem of choosing electro-optic systems for MALE UAVs is solved in this research using an integrated rough set based approach. Firstly, criteria and alternatives were determined based on a literature review and expert opinions. Fuzzy BWM (Best Worst Method) was used to weight the criteria, and alternatives were ranked with interval rough set based COPRAS (Complex Proportional Assessment Method). Technical documents and expert opinions were used to determine the importance levels of the criteria and to evaluate the alternatives. As a result, it has been determined which criteria can be more critical for selecting the most suitable electro-optical system installed on MALE UAVs. At the end of the study, the priority order of the alternatives for MALE UAVs was determined.