A model for determining sensor confidence

The problem of determining the reliability of individual sensors in a multi-sensor robotic system in an unknown environment is addressed. The inherent difficulty in this problem is that the decision must be based solely upon the data from the sensors themselves. The authors propose the consideration of each sensor´s performance over time compared to other sensors in order to determine a measure of confidence in each sensor. This allows sensors which temporarily provide erroneous data to be accommodated. A system which can determine the reliability of its sensors is more robust since it can wisely decide which sensors are most appropriate for a given task and can also determine whether sensor conflicts are the results of poorly performing sensors