Target assignment for integrated search and tracking by active robot networks

This paper presents a new task assignment algorithm that integrates area search and target tracking. A new tracking metric is derived that encodes the ability of each robot to reach an unsensed target before the uncertainty in its position passes a given upper bound. Target activation and tracking assignment using this method enable broader participation by individual robots in a cooperative surveillance architecture. Area search is added to the cooperative surveillance architecture through the use of a coordinated coverage map that represents the probability of new targets being detected in regions of the environment. A key feature of the coverage map is that it is updated by all robots, not just robots performing area search. Thus, tracking robots aid the search process. Simulation results validate the new integrated assignment process.