Cooperative surveillance missions with multiple unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs)

Abstract

Abstract-This paper proposes an optimization based approach to multi-UGV surveillance. In particular, we formulate both the minimum time-and connectivity constrained surveillance problems, show N P-hardness of them and propose decomposition techniques that allow us to solve them efficiently in an algorithmic manner.The minimum time formulation is the following. Given a set of surveillance UGVs and a polyhedral area, find waypointpaths for all UGVs such that every point of the area is visible from a point on a path and such that the time for executing the search in parallel is minimized. Here, the sensor's field of view are assumed to be occluded by the obstacles and limited by a maximal sensor range. The connectivity constrained formulation extends the first by additionally requiring that the information graph induced by the sensors is connected at the time instants when the UGVs stop to perform the surveillance task. The second formulation is relevant to situation when mutual visibility is needed either to transmit the sensor data being gathered, or to protect the team from hostile persons trying to approach the stationary UGVs.

Multi-robot coordination with periodic connectivity

“…Their proposed algorithm has theoretical guarantees and performs well in static networks, but there is no straightforward extension to mobile networks or periodic connectivity. Anisi et al introduced the idea of recurrent connectivity, where robots regain connectivity only when they make observations [9]. They apply their approach to a coverage problem, but they do not generalize to broader problems.…”

Distributed coordination and data fusion for underwater search

“…However, such techniques require training data, which is particularly problematic when environmental conditions are changing. Recent work has also relaxed the requirements for full connectivity by allowing vehicles to lose communication for portions of the task [3], [4]. This prior work still assumes that communication between all vehicles is available at pre-specified points in the plan.…”

“…One method for dealing with imperfect communication is to constrain the movements of the vehicles so that they remain within range, line-of-sight or both. These constraints can be maintained continually [1], [2] or periodically [3], [4]. However, any method that depends on connectivity occurring at a fixed time will be brittle if the model of the communication system is incorrect.…”

The eye and the fist: Optimizing search and interdiction

“…Since our setting is discrete so is also w. (ii) an object is present in AC x and it exits the AOI while being tracked, i.e., To compute the probabilities of the other three events, let Rec θ denote the probability that, following tracking, the Recognizer identifies the object as a target; see (12). Recall that a tracked object is identified as target if ,…”

“…The field of classical search theory, addressing the problem of optimal search for static or mobile targets, has been extensively studied for over seven decades, since the groundbreaking research of Koopman [4], through the seminal works of Washburn [5] and Stone [6], to the recent surge in publications; for example see [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. The problem of coordinating search and interception-the topic of this paper-is more involved.…”