Autonomous Waterborne Search Control for Variable Sensor Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems that use autonomously moving unmanned vehicles with search sensors face challenges in efficiently covering a target range, especially when the effective range of the sensors depends on the environment, leading to increased costs and manpower requirements for remote manipulation.
Innovation Solution
The system controls vehicles mounted with search sensors to autonomously move to sites where objects can be more effectively searched for, even when the effective range of the sensors varies with the environment, by using a vehicle control device that estimates environment models and calculates optimal search efficiencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple sensors are deployed to cover a target range, then the coverage is improved, but the number of manipulators and manpower required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the search region into multiple regions and assigns different vehicles to different regions based on their effective ranges and environmental conditions. Each vehicle independently searches its assigned region, achieving complete coverage without requiring multiple manipulators to control a single vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
Each unmanned vehicle autonomously determines its own search region and moves independently to search for objects. The vehicles self-organize and self-manage without external manipulation, eliminating the need for multiple manipulators while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple sensors are deployed to cover a target range, then the coverage is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The search region is segmented and assigned to multiple vehicles with different effective ranges. Vehicles with narrower effective ranges can cover specific regions efficiently, reducing the need to deploy expensive sensors with wider effective ranges everywhere, thereby lowering overall system cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Different vehicles are deployed with sensors matched to local environmental conditions and coverage requirements. Instead of uniformly deploying expensive wide-range sensors throughout the entire target area, the system uses cost-effective sensors tailored to specific local regions, optimizing cost efficiency.
3Productivity
If vehicles autonomously move to maximize search efficiency, then the search efficiency is improved, but the complexity of control increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each vehicle independently calculates its own search efficiency based on environmental conditions and effective range, then autonomously moves to positions that maximize its contribution. This self-service approach achieves high search efficiency without requiring complex centralized control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts vehicle positions based on changing environmental parameters and effective range variations. By continuously optimizing vehicle locations according to real-time conditions, the system maintains high search efficiency without implementing overly complex control algorithms.
Data Source
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AI summary
An objective of the present invention is, even if an effective range of a search sensor depends on the environment surrounding the search sensor, to perform control such that a waterborne body whereupon the search sensor has been mounted moves autonomously to a site whereat a target may be more efficaciously searched for. Provided is a waterborne body control device, comprising: an environment inference means (1115) which, on the basis of environment information about the surroundings of the host waterborne body from among one or more waterborne bodies, infers an environment model which relates to a search region; a coverage estimation means (1135) which estimates an effective range, in the search region, of a search sensor when each of the waterborne bodies has moved to each prescribed movement candidate site, the search sensor being used to search for a target which is present in the search region; and an autonomous control means (1155) which configures a plurality of sets that are configurable from the mutually different movement candidate sites of all of the waterborne bodies, determines a certain set from among the plurality of sets in which the overall size which the effective range of the search sensor demarcates within a single set among the plurality of sets is maximized, determines a destination of movement of the host waterborne body on the basis of the determined set, and instructs a movement device which implements the movement of the host waterborne body of the determined destination of movement.