Multi-sensor area coverage analysis for aspect-dependent targets

This research investigates sensor area coverage analysis techniques for multiple sensors in applications where the probability of detection (P_d) is a function of aspect as well as range. This is particularly appropriate for mine countermeasure (MCM) applications where many targets have asymmetric geometries and unknown orientations, poses, scour depths, etc. This research articulates two fundamental theoretical limitations in traditional area coverage analysis. First, that sensor performance is aspect independent. And second, that the target orientations observed by the search sensors are independent and uniformly distributed. Using hypothetical sensor performance, simulated MCM search scenarios clearly expose these limitations. The simulations compare the results using the new aspect-dependent techniques to those using the non-aspect-dependent techniques. By properly accounting for aspect-dependent performance, overall mission performance can be increased with no additional cost. The results of this research form a critical piece of requisite understanding towards advancing the Navy´s vision of cooperative and adaptive mission execution with multiple autonomous vehicles.