Information and Multi-Sensor Coordination

The control and integration of distributed, multi-sensor perceptual systems is a complex and challenging problem. The observations or opinions of different sensors are often disparate incomparable and are usually only partial views. Sensor information is inherently uncertain and in addition the individual sensors may themselves be in error with respect to the system as a whole. The successful operation of a multi-sensor system must account for this uncertainty and provide for the aggregation of disparate information in an intelligent and robust manner. We consider the sensors of a multi-sensor system to be members or agents of a team, able to offer opinions and bargain in group decisions. We will analyze the coordination and control of this structure using a theory of team decision-making. We present some new analytic results on multi-sensor aggregation and detail a simulation which we use to investigate our ideas. This simulation provides a basis for the analysis of complex agent structures cooperating in the presence of uncertainty. The results of this study are discussed with reference to multi-sensor robot systems, distributed Al and decision making under uncertainty.