Mobile Sensor Source Localization via Particle Reception Rate
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for locating particle or molecule sources in diffuse environments, such as chemical leaks or explosives, face challenges due to the randomness of advection and mixing processes, which makes it difficult for robots to reliably measure local concentration gradients, limiting their range and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a mobile sensor to detect particles or molecules, determine diffusion parameters, design a lattice on the search space, compute probabilities for each node to be the source, and evaluate movement to maximize the expected rate of information gain, allowing for source localization even in dilute environments without relying on local concentration gradients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If chemotactic search strategy using local concentration gradients is used, then source localization can be achieved, but the range of application is severely limited and search time increases to several minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from local concentration gradient (which requires high concentration and long averaging time) to reception rate of particles/molecules (which provides reliable signal even in dilute environments). This parameter change enables both faster search (reducing loss of time) and maintains localization accuracy (measurement precision) across a wider range of conditions.
2Measurement precision
If waiting is used to improve signal-to-noise ratio by averaging, then measurement precision improves, but average concentration decays rapidly with distance making waiting worse than exploratory motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent switches from measuring average concentration (which decays exponentially with distance) to measuring reception rate of individual particles/molecules. The reception rate provides a reliable signal even when average concentration is very low, eliminating the need to wait for sufficient signal accumulation and allowing effective search at greater distances from the source.
3Measurement precision
If local concentration gradient measurement is used, then source direction can be determined, but the method is not feasible for robots located far away from the source
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces local concentration gradient measurement with reception rate measurement. The reception rate of particles or molecules provides a reliable signal that does not require the robot to be close to the source or to wait for sufficient signal accumulation, thereby extending the effective search range while maintaining the ability to determine source direction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables efficient and rapid localization of particle or molecule sources in diffuse environments by maximizing the expected rate of information gain, reducing search time and improving the accuracy of source detection, even in conditions where local gradients are unreliable.
Implementation Method 1
locating the source of diffused particles or molecules using their reception rate
Implementation Method 2
the air or liquid flow in which the odorous substance diffuses in a chaotic way
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method and systems for locating a source of particles, molecules, or fragments of molecules using particle, molecule, or fragment of molecule reception rate is disclosed. According to the invention, the particle, molecule, or fragment of molecules diffusion parameters in the search space are determined and a lattice is designed on the search space. After having determined whether or not at least one particle, molecule, or fragment of molecule is detected by a sensor, a probability is computed for each node of said search space lattice. The probability associated to each node of the search space lattice corresponds to the probability that the particle, molecule, or fragment of molecule source is located on the node. Then, the move of the sensor is evaluated according to the entropy of the computed probabilities.