Integrated Sensing: Collaborative Research: Objective-oriented Mobile Heterogeneous Sensor Networks for Coordinated Control

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

Investigators

Abstract

Objective-Oriented Mobile Heterogeneous Sensor Networks for Coordinated Control This proposal focuses on a comprehensive study of large, mobile ad hoc reconfigurable networks for coordinated control, using coordinated autonomous flight as a guiding example problem. State estimation provides a link between control and communications which admits heterogeneous sensors, that is the combining of dissimilar or different accuracy data using concepts which underpin data fusion. Management of complexity and preservation of design principles are keys to the development of workable, tunable, mission-oriented systems with many components. The intellectual merit of this collaborative research proposal hinges on the drawing together of cognate and disparate elements from coordinated control, dynamic state estimation, ad hoc network management, resource assignment, and fault tolerance. Its aim is to provide a formalism in which the methods of sensor networking may be integrated as part of a systematic design process focused on achieving a specific control objective. This provides a framework for the development of methodologies for embedding a sensor network in a context of control performance. The broader impact of this research is that it ties together tools and techniques from distinct areas using concepts of information quality. The team is multi-disciplinary across a gamut of Systems Engineering and the problem area impacts a range of fundamental problems in the individual areas of specialization. This linkage across communications, control, networking and estimation is a perceived bottleneck of current design techniques.