Suboptimal decentralized blanket coverage control of mobile autonomous sensor networks

We propose a novel distributed control algorithm for self-deployment of a network of autonomous mobile sensors in the problem of blanket coverage. The objective is to deploy sensors in a given and a priori unknown bounded region of arbitrary shape so that any its point is sensed by at least one sensor. Moreover, this objective should be achieved by as few sensors as possible. The proposed algorithm is decentralized, computationally inexpensive, employs information exchange only between currently nearest neighbors in the sensor network, and ensures an eventual stopover of the entire network. A mathematically rigorous proof of finite time convergence of the proposed algorithm is provided. Its performance is illustrated by computer simulations carried out for various scenarios.