Distributed particle filtering in agent networks: A survey, classification, and comparison

Distributed particle filter (DPF) algorithms are sequential state estimation algorithms that are executed by a set of agents. Some or all of the agents perform local particle filtering and interact with other agents to calculate a global state estimate. DPF algorithms are attractive for large-scale, nonlinear, and non-Gaussian distributed estimation problems that often occur in applications involving agent networks (ANs). In this article, we present a survey, classification, and comparison of various DPF approaches and algorithms available to date. Our emphasis is on decentralized ANs that do not include a central processing or control unit.