An Optimization Approach to Generate Robust Tradeoffs for the Configuration of Passive Sensor Fields Against Moving Targets

摘要

The performance of a distributed sensor field that seeks to achieve surveillance coverage against moving targets is tied to many different constraints and competing objectives. Understanding these tradeoffs is paramount if such systems are to be efficiently designed and employed. When physically deploying the sensor field, the placement of sensors in specific patterns can tremendously alter the system's performance relative to these tradeoffs. Given a robust parameterization of the field configuration, the tradeoffs manifest themselves as boundaries in the space of achievable parameter combinations under the system's constraints. In this paper, we utilize a numerical Pareto optimization approach to derive explicit tradeoff surfaces for the problem of a cooperative network of passive sensor nodes, illustrating the tradeoff between improving field-level search performance and decreasing false searches. We conclude by discussing the impact of these results on the deployment of sensor fields.