Decentralized Detection in Ad hoc Sensor Networks With Low Data Rate Inter Sensor Communication

Decentralized binary detection problem in ad-hoc sensor networks where a link between two sensors is on with a certain probability is considered in this paper. We propose a consensus based detection scheme where sensors exchange their local decisions, update their own decisions based on the exchanges and finally reach a consensus about the state of nature. We analyze the error probability and convergence of this decision consensus scheme. We show that with our scheme, the detection performance in ad-hoc networks is asymptotically equivalent to that of a parallel sensor network where all the local decisions are processed by a central node (fusion center) in the sense that the error exponents are the same. The probability distribution of the consensus time is also studied. Simulation and numerical results are given to verify the theoretical results.