Mobility as a fusion enabler

The gains in surveillance information that can be provided by fusion of multiple sensors have been demonstrated in theoretical and practical terms. However, the use of additional sensors quickly reaches a point where the marginal benefits outweigh the marginal costs. In part, this is due to an increasing probability of misassociation. Additionally, the probability of finding an available sensor with new information decreases as a wider net is cast around the problem. What is required is the right sensor in the right place at the right time. Clearly, the right place and time cannot always be known in advance of an act of hostile intent. The hypothesis is that the use of mobile sensors in a cued mode of operation can provide quantitative benefits to a multi-sensor surveillance web employing fusion techniques. The mobility requirements and on-board sensor requirements can be studied in terms of the characteristics of the fixed sensor Web.