Monitoring of traffic networks using mobile sensors

In this paper, we consider using mobile sensors (unmanned aerial vehicles) to monitor the traffic situation in a traffic network. We aim at finding optimal paths for mobile sensors such that the target links in the traffic network are covered; in addition, we also aim at minimizing energy consumption of mobile sensors. This problem is recast as a multiple rural postman problem. In order to solve this problem, we subsequently translate it into a multiple traveling salesman problem, by mapping the real traffic network into a virtual network, and then solve it by using mixed-integer linear programming. A simulation-based case study is used to illustrate our approach.