Sensor Fusion for Undersea Operations

NPS NRP Executive Summary Project Summary: This executive summary describes our results on the research project entitled "Sensor Fusion for Undersea Operations." The first part deals with efficient search with incomplete information, and is motivated by the problem of searching for objects over a large area. In the undersea domain, the goal is to learn the pattern of intrusions so as to efficiently allocate search resources. The model is complicated by the fact that intruders disappear if they are not detected within some window of time. Hence, the more cells the searcher opts to search, the less effective his search can be in any one area. The key operational question we wish to answer is: How should the perimeter be searched in order to maximize the expected number of events intruders over a finite time horizon? The second part of this project is motivated by the difficulty of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to provide coverage under water. Due to difficulties in transitioning from WSNs to underwater sensor networks (UWSNs), it is critical to develop fast and accurate communication methods with sensors on the harsh environment of the oceans. In this work, we provide a comprehensive framework to study various approximation techniques in solving discrete-domain optimal sensor placement problems. We consider two general sensor placement problems and adapt some of the most commonly used approximation techniques in solving them. NPS-18-N124-D Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.