A Sampling-Based Approach for Achieving Desired Patterns of Probabilistic Coverage with Distributed Sensor Networks

A new method is derived for finding the best positions in which to locate the sensors in a distributed sensor network in order to achieve a desired variation, or pattern, in spatial coverage over a specified domain. Such patterning is important in situations when there are not enough sensors to comp...

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Main Authors: Russell Costa, Thomas A. Wettergren
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-06-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/13/5999
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author Russell Costa
Thomas A. Wettergren
author_facet Russell Costa
Thomas A. Wettergren
author_sort Russell Costa
collection DOAJ
description A new method is derived for finding the best positions in which to locate the sensors in a distributed sensor network in order to achieve a desired variation, or pattern, in spatial coverage over a specified domain. Such patterning is important in situations when there are not enough sensors to completely cover a region adequately. By providing coverage based on a desired pattern, this approach allows a user/designer to specify which sub-regions of the domain are more important to cover, and to what level that is desired. The method that is developed is novel in that it is an analytic approach, as opposed to existing numerical optimization approaches, and thus provides solutions rapidly and can also be applied to provide online repositioning for existing sensor networks to respond to changes in the environment. The method is based on deriving an expression for the probabilistic density of sensor locations that best matches the desired coverage under given spatially varying environmental conditions; and then samples from that sensor density to determine specific sensor locations. The performance of the method is demonstrated on numerical examples in both one-dimensional and two-dimensional settings. Comparisons are made between solutions found from this approach and solutions obtained by a numerical optimization technique.
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spelling doaj.art-7137e7b204f6463bba59894dfd5bec142023-11-18T17:29:53ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-06-012313599910.3390/s23135999A Sampling-Based Approach for Achieving Desired Patterns of Probabilistic Coverage with Distributed Sensor NetworksRussell Costa0Thomas A. Wettergren1Naval Undersea Warfare Center, 1176 Howell Street, Newport, RI 02841, USANaval Undersea Warfare Center, 1176 Howell Street, Newport, RI 02841, USAA new method is derived for finding the best positions in which to locate the sensors in a distributed sensor network in order to achieve a desired variation, or pattern, in spatial coverage over a specified domain. Such patterning is important in situations when there are not enough sensors to completely cover a region adequately. By providing coverage based on a desired pattern, this approach allows a user/designer to specify which sub-regions of the domain are more important to cover, and to what level that is desired. The method that is developed is novel in that it is an analytic approach, as opposed to existing numerical optimization approaches, and thus provides solutions rapidly and can also be applied to provide online repositioning for existing sensor networks to respond to changes in the environment. The method is based on deriving an expression for the probabilistic density of sensor locations that best matches the desired coverage under given spatially varying environmental conditions; and then samples from that sensor density to determine specific sensor locations. The performance of the method is demonstrated on numerical examples in both one-dimensional and two-dimensional settings. Comparisons are made between solutions found from this approach and solutions obtained by a numerical optimization technique.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/13/5999distributed sensor networkscoverageplacementoptimizationsampling
spellingShingle Russell Costa
Thomas A. Wettergren
A Sampling-Based Approach for Achieving Desired Patterns of Probabilistic Coverage with Distributed Sensor Networks
Sensors
distributed sensor networks
coverage
placement
optimization
sampling
title A Sampling-Based Approach for Achieving Desired Patterns of Probabilistic Coverage with Distributed Sensor Networks
title_full A Sampling-Based Approach for Achieving Desired Patterns of Probabilistic Coverage with Distributed Sensor Networks
title_fullStr A Sampling-Based Approach for Achieving Desired Patterns of Probabilistic Coverage with Distributed Sensor Networks
title_full_unstemmed A Sampling-Based Approach for Achieving Desired Patterns of Probabilistic Coverage with Distributed Sensor Networks
title_short A Sampling-Based Approach for Achieving Desired Patterns of Probabilistic Coverage with Distributed Sensor Networks
title_sort sampling based approach for achieving desired patterns of probabilistic coverage with distributed sensor networks
topic distributed sensor networks
coverage
placement
optimization
sampling
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/13/5999
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